• Source:JND
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More than 100,000 residents across the eastern and northern regions of the Philippines were evacuated on Sunday as Typhoon Fung-wong rapidly strengthened into a super typhoon ahead of its expected landfall. Authorities issued urgent warnings about torrential rainfall, destructive winds, widespread flooding, and potentially deadly storm surges. Evacuation centres were quickly filled as local governments rushed to relocate families living along coastlines, riverbanks, and landslide-prone slopes. 

The Philippine state weather bureau raised storm alert signals across large swathes of the country, placing southeastern Luzon, particularly Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, and Camarines Sur, under Signal No. 5, the highest storm warning classification. Metro Manila and surrounding provinces, including parts of Central Luzon, were placed under Signal No. 3, prompting school closures and suspension of outdoor activities.

Catanduanes, a small island province expected to take a “direct hit,” began experiencing violent winds and heavy rainfall early Sunday morning. Storm surges sent waves crashing into coastal roads, flooding neighbourhood streets and forcing residents to flee with only essential belongings.

Human Toll Rising On The Ground

Images shared by the Philippine Coast Guard showed evacuees transferring from narrow passenger boats to trucks during pre-emptive evacuation operations in Camarines Sur. Families carried bags, blankets, and food supplies as they braced for days of possible isolation should roads and power lines fail.

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Government meteorologist Benison Estareja warned that the storm could dump as much as 200 millimetres (eight inches) of rain in several regions, enough to trigger severe flooding. “It’s also possible that our major river basins will overflow,” Estareja cautioned, urging communities near rivers to prepare for rapid water level rises.

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300 Flights Cancelled As Travel Disrupts

The Civil Aviation Authority reported more than 300 domestic and international flight cancellations due to dangerous weather conditions. Airlines advised passengers to monitor updates as Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport reduced operations amid worsening winds.

Climate Change Intensifying Storms

Climate scientists reiterated that human-driven global warming is making storms stronger and more frequent. Warmer sea surface temperatures allow typhoons to intensify rapidly, while a hotter atmosphere can hold more moisture, producing extreme rainfall events. 

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Fung-wong’s arrival comes just days after the Philippines was battered by Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed 204 people and caused widespread destruction before continuing toward Vietnam, where it claimed additional lives and devastated coastal areas.

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