Super Typhoon Fung-wong, the biggest storm to threaten the Philippines this year, has started battering the country’s northeastern coast ahead of making landfall
Super Typhoon Fung-wong, the biggest storm to threaten the Philippines this year, started battering the country’s northeastern coast ahead of landfall on Sunday, knocking down power, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people and prompting the defense chief to warn millions to evacuate to safety from high-risk villages before it’s too late.
Fung-wong, which could cover two-thirds of the Southeast Asian archipelago with its 1,600-kilometer- (994-mile-) wide rain and wind band, approached from the Pacific while the Philippines was still dealing with the devastation wrought by Typhoon Kalmaegi, which left at least 204 people dead in central island provinces on Tuesday before pummeling Vietnam, where at least five were killed.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a state of emergency due to the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the expected calamity from Fung-wong, which is called Uwan in the Philippines.
Fung-wong, with winds of up to 185 kph (115 mph) and gusts of up to 230 kph (143 mph), was spotted by government forecasters Sunday morning about 125 kilometers (78 miles) northeast of the town of Virac in Catanduanes province, where it is already being felt.
