More than 1 million people have been evacuated from their homes in the Philippines and at least two people have been killed as Typhoon Fung-wong – the second big storm to hit in days – made landfall on the east coast.
The super-typhoon crossed over the north of the archipelago’s most populous island, Luzon, with torrential rain, sustained winds of 115mph (185km/h) and gusts of up to 140mph (225km/h).
It comes days after Typhoon Kalmaegi hit the country, killing at least 224 people and leaving another 135 missing. Searches for those still missing had to be suspended on Sunday due to safety concerns for rescue workers.
At least two deaths from Typhoon Fung-wong were recorded before landfall on Sunday. The civil defence office reported that one person drowned in Catanduanes and a woman was trapped by a collapsed home in Catbalogan City. Juniel Tagarino, a rescuer in Catbalogan City, said the body of the 64-year-old woman, who had been trying to leave, had been pulled from under debris and fallen trees.
“The wind was so strong and the rain was heavy … According to her family members, she might have forgotten something and went back inside her house,” Tagarino said.
The biggest typhoon to threaten the Philippines in years, Fung-wong could cover two-thirds of the archipelago with a 1,118-mile-wide rain and wind band, forecasters have said. Tropical cyclones with sustained winds of 115mph (185km/h) or higher are categorised in the Philippines as a super-typhoon, a designation adopted to underscore the urgency tied to more extreme weather disturbances.
Scientists have said storms are becoming more powerful due to the human-driven climate crisis. Warmer oceans allow typhoons to strengthen rapidly and a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, meaning heavier rainfall.
More than 1.2 million people have been pre-emptively evacuated across the country, Rafaelito Alejandro, a civil defence deputy administrator, told a news briefing.
Typhoon Fung-wong is expected to bring at least 200mm (8in) of rain to many parts of the country, according to government meteorologists. It is the 21st significant storm to hit the Philippines this year, straining disaster response efforts across the country.
It blew into Dinalungan town in Aurora province on Sunday night after fierce rain and wind in north-eastern Philippine provinces all day from offshore.
In Aurora province, Aries Ora, 34, a government worker, said the rain was still light as he boarded up his home in the town of Dipaculao with steel sheets and wooden boards during daylight hours before landfall, but he said he feared the dark. “What really scares us is that the expected landfall is at night,” he said. “Unlike previous typhoons, we won’t be able to clearly see the movement of the wind and what’s happening around us.”
Schools and government offices have been ordered to close on Monday across Luzon, including in the capital, Manila, where nearly 300 flights have been cancelled.
Gilberto Teodoro, the defence secretary, urged people in the storm’s path to obey evacuation orders, saying that to not comply was dangerous and unlawful.
“We ask that people pre-emptively evacuate so that we don’t end up having to conduct rescues at the last minute, which could put the lives of police, soldiers, firefighters and coastguard personnel at risk,” he said.
Earlier on Sunday, Catanduanes, a small island that the state weather service said could take a direct hit, was already being lashed by wind and rain, with storm surges sending waves hurtling over streets and flood waters rising in some areas.
Alejandro said: “As we speak they are feeling the impact of the typhoon, especially in Catanduanes, because the storm’s eye is closest there.”
Edson Casarino, 33, who lives in the town of Virac in Catanduanes, said: “The waves started roaring around 7am. When the waves hit the seawall, it felt like the ground was shaking.”
Video from officials in Catanduanes, shared by the government broadcaster, showed houses submerged up to the roofs.
“The rain and wind were so strong there was nearly zero visibility,” Roberto Monterola, a disaster mitigation officer for Catanduanes, told the Associated Press by telephone.
In Guinobatan, a town of about 80,000 people in Albay province, verified video showed streets transformed into raging torrents.
Pope Leo offered prayers for the predominantly Catholic nation. “I am close to the people of the Philippines affected by a violent typhoon. I pray for the deceased and their families, for the injured and the displaced,” he said on Sunday.
Fung-Wong is expected to head north of the Philippines and reach coastal waters on Monday morning while remaining a typhoon, before heading out to sea and weakening as it reaches west Taiwan on Thursday.
Agence France-Press and Reuters contributed to this report
