Super Typhoon Fung-wong
Super Typhoon Fung-wong, late-season tropical cyclone that grew into a super typhoon in November 2025 and caused severe damage in the Philippines. The typhoon’s maximum sustained wind speed was about 115 miles (185 km) per hour in its early track as it approached the Philippines, along with peak gusts (that is, short bursts of stronger wind lasting a few seconds) of more than 140 miles (225 km) per hour and a minimum central pressure of 950 hectopascals (1 hectopascal = 1 millibar) on November 9.
Origin and early path
A tropical depression developed in the open sea far to the east of the Yap Islands—an archipelago some 1,000 miles (1,600 km) east of the Philippines—on November 4, 2025. The depression center circulated in the area for two days before it began to organize into a storm. The Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded the system to a tropical storm and assigned it the international name Fung-wong on November 6. It tracked steadily west-northwest as it strengthened, eventually attaining typhoon status on November 7. At 10:00 pm that night the typhoon’s center entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility, an area around the Philippines where typhoon activity is closely monitored by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the country’s meteorological agency.
The system then intensified rapidly into a super typhoon, gaining about 47 miles (76 km) per hour in 24 hours between November 7 and 8. The Philippines prepared for the oncoming storm by evacuating more than one million people before Fung-wong made landfall.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
The criteria for classifying and grading storms may differ among various weather monitoring agencies (see also Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale). Here are the wind-speed criteria used by PAGASA for classifying storms:
- Tropical depression: A weather system of rotating winds up to 38 miles (62 km) per hour
- Tropical storm: A tropical cyclone with wind speeds from 38 miles (62 km) per hour to 55 miles (88 km) per hour
- Severe tropical storm: A tropical cyclone with wind speeds from about 54 miles (87 km) per hour to 73 miles (117 km) per hour
- Typhoon: A tropical cyclone with wind speeds from about 73 miles (118 km) per hour to 114 miles (184 km) per hour
- Super typhoon: A tropical cyclone with a maximum wind speed of more than 115 miles (185 km) per hour
Landfall and aftermath
The Philippines
Fung-wong made landfall in Aurora province on Luzon island in the Philippines as a super typhoon on November 9 about 9:10 pm local time with wind speeds of about 115 miles (185 km) per hour. The storm, with its rainbands and outer winds, measured about 1,100 miles (1,800 km) across, covering most of the island country.
The wind and rain, along with storm surges that drove waves 30 feet (9 meters) high, brought on severe flooding, mudslides, and structural damage, exacerbating the impact of Typhoon Kalmaegi, which had made landfall in the Philippines just a few days prior, on November 4. More than 130 villages were flooded and about 1,000 homes wrecked during the storm’s course across the populous island. Four people were reported to have died from the effects of the storm on November 9. The typhoon’s center passed west of the Philippines on November 10, though the storm’s outer rainbands continued to influence weather in the Philippines significantly. The typhoon’s passage through the Philippines killed 27 people.
Taiwan
The storm tracked northeast, weakening into a tropical storm on November 11 as it approached Taiwan. The strong winds and rain brought on by the storm’s outer rainbands caused severe weather complications in Taiwan before Fung-wong made landfall. Many coastal localities were flooded on November 11. Su-ao (Suao), a harbor town, saw 25.5 inches (648 mm) of rainfall, which flooded more than 1,000 homes the same day.
Government authorities ordered more than 8,000 people to evacuate across multiple counties in the path of the storm, following warnings that the tropical storm could cause devastating landslides and flash floods with landfall. The center of the storm made contact with the southern tip of Taiwan about 8:30 pm local time on November 12, passing close by Cape Eluanbi and veering toward the eastern coast of the island. The storm was downgraded to a tropical depression after it made landfall, with wind speeds of 34 miles (54 km) per hour near the center and gusts of 51 miles (83 km) per hour.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
