Typhoon Fung-wong has weakened after battering the Philippines, leaving two people dead before moving over the South China Sea on its path toward Taiwan.
Authorities said more than 1.4 million people were evacuated ahead of the storm, which struck Aurora province in Luzon late Sunday as a super typhoon with winds reaching 185 km/h (115 mph) and gusts up to 230 km/h (143 mph). The storm weakened to a typhoon within hours of landfall.
Fung-wong’s impact comes just days after Tropical Storm Kalmaegi claimed nearly 200 lives in the central Philippines. Despite heavy damage to buildings and flooding in some areas, officials reported less severe destruction than feared, crediting widespread preemptive evacuations and improved disaster response.
By Monday morning, winds had subsided across affected areas, allowing residents to assess damage and begin recovery efforts. Several communities, however, remain isolated by floodwaters and blocked roads.
Meteorologists say Fung-wong is expected to continue weakening as it moves toward Taiwan in the coming days.
