Nearly one million people have fled their homes as Super Typhoon Fung-wong, the most powerful storm to hit the Philippines this year, began lashing the country’s northeastern coast on Sunday.

Authorities have warned that the storm’s massive wind and rain band could engulf two-thirds of the archipelago, threatening catastrophic damage just days after another deadly typhoon ravaged the region.

With winds reaching 185 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 230 kph, Fung-wong — known locally as Uwan — was tracked near the coastal waters of Pandan, Catanduanes Province before noon Sunday.

Government forecasters said the super typhoon is expected to make landfall later Sunday or early Monday along the Aurora or Isabela coasts.

The storm comes as the nation is still reeling from Typhoon Kalmaegi, which tore through central provinces earlier in the week, killing at least 224 people and leaving widespread devastation before moving on to Vietnam, where five more people died. In response, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a state of emergency, citing both the destruction from Kalmaegi and the anticipated impact of Fung-wong.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who oversees the country’s disaster response, urged residents to evacuate before conditions worsen. “We need to move people out now,” he said in a televised address. “Once the rains intensify and flooding begins, rescue operations become extremely difficult.”

More than 916,000 residents in high-risk coastal and mountain villages across the Bicol region and nearby provinces have already been evacuated. Officials warned that over 30 million people could face the storm’s effects — including flash floods, landslides, and storm surges reaching up to 3 meters along exposed coastlines, including parts of Metro Manila.

Power outages have been reported in several eastern towns as the typhoon’s outer bands moved inland. Authorities have suspended schools and government offices across northern regions for Monday and Tuesday, while airlines have canceled at least 386 domestic and international flights. More than 6,600 passengers and crew remain stranded in ports, where ships have been barred from sailing due to dangerous seas.

Despite the scale of the crisis, the Philippines has not yet requested international aid, though the United States and Japan have offered assistance if needed.

The Philippines, located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is among the world’s most disaster-prone nations, enduring around 20 typhoons annually, in addition to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

As Fung-wong advances, emergency teams remain on high alert — bracing for what could be one of the country’s most destructive storms in years.

Heavy rainfall in Mexico has left at least 27 people dead and more missing, authorities said on Friday, as downpours triggered several landslides, cut off power in some municipalities and caused rivers to burst their banks.

Civil protection authorities in Hidalgo state reported 16 deaths and said at least 1,000 homes and hundreds of schools had been affected, Reuters reported. 

Puebla state Governor Alejandro Armenta said at least nine people had died due to incidents such as landslides and another five had been reported missing. Authorities reported two more deaths in Veracruz state.

“We are working to support the population, open roads and restore electrical services,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said in a post on X. She shared photos of emergency responders carrying supplies as they waded knee-deep in flooded streets.

A video from the Navy showed an officer searching for stranded people as he advanced down a street neck-deep in water in Poza Rica, where heavy rains and the flooding of the Cazones river brought much of Veracruz town under water.

The ministry of defense said it had deployed over 5,400 personnel to help monitor, evacuate and clean up affected areas.

Meanwhile, storms Raymond and Priscilla have been dumping rains on the Baja California peninsula and the country’s western Pacific seaboard.

Nearly 350,000 people have been evacuated from southern China as Typhoon Matmo made landfall on Sunday, bringing destructive winds, torrential rain, and widespread shutdowns across Guangdong and Hainan provinces.

According to the National Meteorological Centre (NMC), the storm — China’s 21st typhoon of the year — strengthened into a severe tropical system before striking the coast between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Wenchang in Hainan around midday.

The typhoon was packing winds of up to 151 km/h and moving northwest at about 25 km/h prompting authorities to issue a red alert, the highest level in the country’s four-tier weather warning system.

Local authorities reported that 347,000 residents were moved from high-risk and coastal zones as emergency teams scrambled to respond. More than 10,000 rescue workers have been deployed across Guangdong, local media reported.

Provincial deputy party secretary Meng Fanli urged officials to go into “battle mode” and prevent casualties as the storm struck during China’s National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, when travel typically peaks.

The port city of Zhanjiang imposed a full shutdown on classes, businesses, and public transport. Similar lockdowns were enforced in parts of Hainan, including Haikou and Wenchang, where schools, ferry routes, and tourist attractions were closed.

All train services on Hainan Island were suspended Sunday, with limited resumption expected Monday. Flights to and from Haikou Meilan International Airport were also grounded overnight, while Hong Kong warned of significant flight disruptions — more than 100 flights affected, including 27 cancellations, according to the Airport Authority.

The Hong Kong Observatory said the storm was weakening as it moved away, though outer rainbands continued to bring squally showers and gusty winds. Residents were warned to avoid coastal areas and water activities.

Despite gradual weakening, authorities warned of up to 250 mm of rainfall in parts of Guangdong, Hainan, and Yunnan provinces, with potential for flash floods and landslides.

Typhoon Matmo’s impact follows weeks of extreme weather across East and Southeast Asia, including record rainfall and deadly floods in the Philippines earlier this week. As the storm tracks inland toward Yunnan and northern Vietnam, officials are maintaining high alert for secondary disasters.