Super Typhoon Fung-wong is charting a destructive course across Southeast Asia, having already claimed lives and forced massive evacuations in the Philippines. The powerful storm is now advancing towards Taiwan, raising alarm bells for authorities there.
Destruction in the Philippines
The typhoon made landfall on Sunday night in Aurora province as a super typhoon, packing sustained winds of up to 185kmph and gusts reaching 230kmph. With a colossal diameter of approximately 1,800 kilometres, the storm brought howling winds, torrential rain, and dangerous storm swells to Luzon, the Philippines' most populous island.
The human cost has been severe. Officials confirmed that at least four people lost their lives. A tragic mudslide in the northern town of Kayapa buried a house, killing two children. Another person drowned in flash floods in Catanduanes province, and a fourth victim died in Catbalogan city when her house collapsed on her.
Romeo Mariano, a resident of Isabela province, described a harrowing night. "We could not sleep because of the winds hitting our metal sheets and tree branches falling," he said. "When we got out to check our home, we saw the damage." The disaster struck while the country was still reeling from the impact of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which killed 224 people earlier in the week.
Path Towards Taiwan
After raking through the mountainous northern provinces and agricultural plains, the storm moved out over the South China Sea. While it has weakened, state forecasters reported that by Monday, Fung-wong was still a typhoon with winds of 130-160kmph.
Its trajectory now points directly towards Taiwan. The storm is forecast to hit the island's densely populated western coast on Wednesday. The Central Weather Administration has warned that heavy rain will lash coastal areas, including Keelung, the Greater Taipei area, and the eastern half of the island from Monday night through Tuesday.
This has prompted the Taiwanese government to take immediate action, ordering evacuations in the town of Guangfu. This area was the scene of deadly floods just two months ago, where 18 people died during another typhoon. The fire department is coordinating with local agencies to ensure disaster response personnel and equipment are on standby.
Regional Impact and Response
The arrival of Fung-wong exacerbates an already critical situation in the region. In the Philippines, authorities had to order nearly one million people to evacuate their homes ahead of the storm's arrival. The nation's disaster response mechanisms are being stretched thin as they contend with consecutive major weather events.
For Taiwan, the focus is on preparedness. The memory of recent flooding has made officials particularly cautious. The storm's outer bands are expected to dump significant rain, potentially triggering storm surges and further flooding, especially along the mountainous east coast.
As Super Typhoon Fung-wong continues its path across the South China Sea, millions remain in its potential track, underscoring the immense and recurring challenge that extreme weather events pose to nations in this part of the world.
