Manila: The Philippine weather bureau issued a warning for life-threatening storm surges of up to five meters and damaging winds as Typhoon Fung-wong made landfall on the country's east coast, expected to intensify into a super typhoon before making landfall Sunday night.
According to Thai News Agency, weather forecasters from the National Weather Service said the typhoon's large circulation, which could cover a distance of 1,500 kilometers, has already begun to affect parts of the eastern Philippines. It is bringing heavy rain and strong winds, with the potential to bring widespread rain across much of the country.
Typhoon Fongwong, locally known as Uwan, is packing maximum sustained winds of 140 km/h (87 mph) and gusts of up to 170 km/h (108 mph). It is potentially strengthening to 185 km/h (117 mph) as it approaches land, strong enough to destroy homes, uproot trees, and damage structures.
The weather bureau has forecast up to 200 millimeters of rain in the eastern provinces of the Philippines, particularly in the Bicol region and parts of Samar. This increases the risk of widespread flooding and landslides, while northern and central Luzon could see 100 to 200 millimeters of rain during the storm's passage.
The Meteorological Department is urging people in low-lying and coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground and stop all marine activities. They warn of storm surges that could inundate coastal communities and strong winds.
Several local governments have announced the suspension of classes on Monday, and the Philippine national airline has canceled some flights ahead of Typhoon Fongwong's projected landfall.
The warning comes just days after Typhoon Kalmaegi wreaked havoc in the region, leaving some dead. There were 204 cases in the Philippines and 5 in Vietnam, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate their homes and causing widespread power outages. Vietnam's disaster management agency reported damage to nearly 2,800 homes and said about 500,000 people were still without power. Meanwhile, the Philippines was hit by severe flooding that destroyed homes and blocked roads with debris.