Super typhoon Uwan hits Philippines: Nearly 1 million evacuated, flights grounded

Manila: A second powerful typhoon in a week is threatening the Philippines, prompting authorities to evacuate over 1 million residents from vulnerable areas amid warnings of destructive winds and life-threatening storm surges.

Super Typhoon Fung-wong, locally known as Uwan, comes just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi devastated the country’s central regions, killing nearly 200 people in the Philippines and five in Vietnam.

Fung-wong began battering the main island of Luzon on Sunday and is forecast to make landfall in Aurora province between 8 pm and 11 pm. Schools and government offices have been closed across several provinces, including Metro Manila, as work and classes are suspended.

The nation continues to recover from the impact of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which claimed 224 lives in the Philippines last week.

Authorities confirmed the first known fatality from Fung-wong — a 64-year-old woman in Catbalogan City, Samar, who died after being struck by debris while attempting to evacuate her home.

“She went back inside her house, possibly to retrieve something, and was later found under fallen trees and debris,” rescuer Juniel Tagarino told AFP. 

As the typhoon’s outer bands reached the eastern coast, Catanduanes island faced fierce winds and heavy rain early Sunday.

“The waves started roaring around 7 am. When they hit the seawall, it felt like the ground was shaking,” said resident Edson Casarino from Virac town.

Flooding was also reported across the Bicol region, with verified videos showing inundated streets and floodwaters rising halfway up church doors. 

In Aurora province, residents boarded up homes with steel sheets and wooden boards as they prepared for landfall after dark.

“What scares us most is that the landfall will happen at night. We won’t be able to see what’s happening around us,” said Dipaculao resident Aries Ora.

Authorities have preemptively closed schools and government offices across Luzon. Nearly 300 flights were cancelled, while more than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers were stranded in ports after the coast guard suspended sea travel.

Several towns along the eastern coast have lost power as strong winds toppled lines and trees, according to the Office of Civil Defence. 

Fung-wong spans a massive 1,600 kilometres (994 miles), covering nearly two-thirds of the country. With sustained winds of 185 kph (115 mph) and gusts up to 230 kph (143 mph), it is classified as a super typhoon — the strongest storm category in the Philippines.

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. warned that more than 30 million people could be exposed to dangerous winds, flash floods and coastal surges.

“When the typhoon hits and flooding starts, it becomes difficult to rescue people,” Teodoro cautioned, urging residents in high-risk areas to evacuate immediately. 

In Catanduanes, residents revived a traditional method of storm preparation — strapping roofs with thick ropes and anchoring them to the ground.

“It’s something we’ve always done during strong typhoons to keep roofs from being blown away,” said provincial official Roberto Monterola.

In Sorsogon, a city in southern Luzon, some sought refuge in a church.

Only days earlier, Typhoon Kalmaegi sent floodwaters rushing through the towns and cities of Cebu and Negros islands, sweeping away cars, riverside shanties and massive shipping containers.

The typhoon, the deadliest of 2025 according to disaster database EM-DAT, killed at least 224 people and left 109 missing, according to government figures updated Sunday morning.

Search and rescue efforts in Cebu were suspended on Saturday due to safety concerns over the approaching super typhoon.

Meteorologists warn that Fung-wong could dump more than 200 millimetres (eight inches) of rain across parts of the country. Scientists say human-driven climate change is intensifying tropical cyclones, allowing them to strengthen rapidly over warmer oceans and unleash heavier rainfall.

The arrival of Fung-wong comes less than a week after Typhoon Kalmaegi devastated the central islands of Cebu and Negros, sweeping away vehicles and homes.

Kalmaegi, the deadliest storm of 2025 so far, killed at least 224 people and left 109 missing. In its aftermath, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a state of emergency and directed disaster response agencies to prepare for Fung-wong’s impact. 

Authorities warned of life-threatening storm surges of up to three metres (10 feet) along the coasts of over 20 provinces, including Metro Manila.

The Philippines faces an average of 20 typhoons annually, in addition to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions — making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations.

As Super Typhoon Fung-wong bears down, millions brace for another night of uncertainty — just days after enduring one of the deadliest storms in recent memory.

In Gia Lai province, which bore the brunt of Typhoon Kalmaegi, shrimp farm owner Nguyen Dinh Sa described catastrophic losses.

"I went to check them every hour yesterday until evening. I had done everything but could not save them," Sa, 26, told Reuters, lamenting the destruction of around six metric tons of shrimp. "All my investments are gone. I am so desperate at the moment."

Sa’s two-story warehouse, used for storing shrimp feed, was briefly submerged by seven-meter-high waves and strong winds, causing an estimated loss of around 1 billion dong ($37,959).

The typhoon left widespread destruction along Vietnam’s coast, toppling trees and scattering roofing sheets and glass, while residents relied on generators to charge their phones. Vietnam’s disaster management agency reported seven injuries, damage to roughly 2,800 homes, and power outages affecting about 1.3 million people. Damage to railway infrastructure was reported in Quang Ngai province.

The government mobilised more than 268,000 soldiers for search-and-rescue operations and warned of potential flooding that could affect agriculture in the Central Highlands, Vietnam’s main coffee-growing region. Traders said rainfall had eased by Friday, and coffee trees were unharmed.