Typhoon Fung-wong is now moving across the South China Sea toward Taiwan after battering the Philippines, leaving two people dead and thousands displaced.
Before making landfall on Sunday, Fung-wong had intensified into a super typhoon with sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) and gusts reaching 230 km/h (143 mph). The storm struck Aurora Province on Luzon Island — the Philippines’ most populous region — at around 9:10 p.m. local time (13:10 GMT), before weakening several hours later.
Authorities said that about 1.4 million people were evacuated ahead of the storm, a move that significantly reduced potential casualties. Despite heavy rains and strong winds that tore roofs off buildings and downed power lines, officials reported less devastation than initially feared.
By early Monday morning, the storm’s fierce winds had subsided, allowing residents to emerge from shelters to assess the damage. Many communities remained flooded and temporarily isolated, though emergency teams were working to restore access and deliver relief materials.
The Philippine weather bureau confirmed that Typhoon Fung-wong has weakened and is now heading northward toward Taiwan. Forecasters in Taipei have issued warnings of possible heavy rains and strong winds along the island’s eastern coast.
Fung-wong’s impact comes just days after Storm Kalmaegi devastated parts of the Philippines, killing nearly 200 people. Authorities credited improved disaster preparedness and timely evacuations for preventing a repeat of that tragedy.
