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MANILA – The Philippines faces its most formidable weather challenge this year as Super Typhoon Fung-wong begins to lash the northeastern coast. As the storm approaches landfall on Sunday, it has already disrupted power, compelled tens of thousands to evacuate, and led defense officials to urge millions more to flee vulnerable areas before conditions deteriorate further.
Stretching across a 1,600-kilometer (994-mile) expanse of rain and wind, Fung-wong looms large over two-thirds of the Philippines, advancing from the Pacific. The nation is still reeling from Typhoon Kalmaegi, which claimed at least 204 lives in central islands earlier in the week and subsequently caused fatalities in Vietnam, where five more perished.
In response to the widespread destruction inflicted by Kalmaegi and the looming threat of Fung-wong, known locally as Uwan, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a state of emergency.
On Sunday morning, forecasters reported Fung-wong’s formidable winds reaching up to 185 kph (115 mph), with gusts accelerating to 230 kph (143 mph). The storm was located approximately 125 kilometers (78 miles) northeast of Virac in Catanduanes province, where its impact is already being felt. It is projected to move northwest, potentially making landfall in Aurora or Isabela province by late Sunday or early Monday.
In the Philippines, any tropical cyclone with sustained winds exceeding 185 kph (115 mph) is classed as a super typhoon, a categorization meant to emphasize the critical threat posed by such severe weather events.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who oversees the country’s disaster response agencies and the military, warned about the potentially catastrophic impact of Fung-wong in televised remarks Saturday. He said the storm could affect a vast expanse of the country, including Cebu, the central province hit hardest by Typhoon Kalmaegi, and metropolitan Manila, the densely populated capital region which is the seat of power and the country’s financial center.
Teodoro asked people to follow orders by officials to immediately move away from villages and towns prone to flash floods, landslides and coastal tidal surges. “We need to do this because when it’s already raining or the typhoon has hit and flooding has started, it’s hard to rescue people,” Teodoro said.
The Philippines has not called for international help following the devastation caused by Kalmaegi but Teodoro said the United States, the country’s longtime treaty ally, and Japan were ready to provide assistance.
As Fung-wong approached with its wide band of fierce wind and rain, several eastern towns and villages lost power, Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro of the Office of Civil Defense said.
About 50,000 families were evacuated from high-risk villages in Bicol, a northeastern coastal region vulnerable to Pacific cyclones and mudflows from Mayon, one of the country’s most active volcanoes.
Authorities in northern provinces to be hit or sideswiped by Fung-wong preemptively declared the shutdown of schools and most government offices on Monday. Several domestic flights were canceled in threatened provinces, and more than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers were stranded in at least 86 seaports, where the coast guard prohibited ships from venturing into increasingly rough seas.
The Philippines is battered by about 20 typhoons and storms each year. The country also is often hit by earthquakes and has more than a dozen active volcanoes, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
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