Typhoon Fung-wong has swept through the northwestern Philippines, killing at least four people, displacing more than 1.4 million, and knocking out power across entire provinces.
The storm, which triggered floods and landslides, struck while the country was still reeling from Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed at least 224 people last week.
Fung-wong made landfall in northeastern Aurora province on Sunday night as a super typhoon, with sustained winds reaching 185 kilometres per hour (115 miles per hour) and gusts up to 230 km/h (143mph).
The huge 1,800km- (1,100-mile)-wide storm weakened as it traversed mountainous northern provinces and agricultural plains overnight before exiting into the South China Sea from La Union province, according to state forecasters.
More than 1.4 million people were evacuated to emergency shelters or relatives’ homes before the typhoon’s arrival, with approximately 318,000 still in evacuation centres on Monday.
The powerful wind and rain flooded at least 132 villages, including one where residents became trapped on rooftops as waters rapidly rose.
About 1,000 houses sustained damage, according to Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV of the Office of Civil Defence, who added that landslide-blocked roads would be cleared as the weather improved on Monday.
“While the typhoon has passed, its rains still pose a danger in certain areas in northern Luzon, including in metropolitan Manila,” Alejandro said. “We’ll undertake today rescue, relief and disaster-response operations.”
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr had declared a state of emergency on Thursday due to Kalmaegi’s extensive devastation and Fung-wong’s anticipated damage. The latter storm is also known as Uwan in the Philippines.
Authorities closed schools and most government offices on Monday and Tuesday. More than 325 domestic and 61 international flights were cancelled from the weekend into Monday, while more than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers remained stranded in ports after the coastguard prohibited ships from venturing into rough seas.
The Philippines typically experiences about 20 typhoons and storms annually. The country also frequently endures earthquakes and has more than a dozen active volcanoes, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations.