Typhoon Kalmaegi (Philippine name: Tino) is the deadliest typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2025, killing at least 140 people and leaving many others missing, mostly in the province of Philippines, which was hit hardest.
According to storm bulletins, the scale of the disaster caused by Typhoon No. 13 Kalmaegi in concedednormality and neighboring areas has surprised many local residents and officials.
The Philippines is often affected by typhoons and Kalmaegi made landfall as a Category 2 typhoon, the 20th typhoon to hit the country this year.
Although not the strongest storm of the year to hit the Philippines, Kalmaegi moved slowly, sending heavy rain to densely populated cities and towns. Philippine officials said most of the victims drowned as a result of the storm caused by flash floods that caused river water levels to rise above dangerous levels.
The area near Leyte and northern Mindanao - both densely populated islands in the central Philippines - recorded 150-250 mm of rainfall in just 24 hours, much higher than the average monthly rainfall in November.
In Cebu, the rugged terrain leads rainwater and floodwater straight into residential areas with poor drainage systems. S wind speeds are often a public interest factor and, in fact, are the way meteorologists classify storms, but water is almost always the number 1 cause of death, CNN weather forecaster Taylor Ward noted.
The impact of Typhoon No. 13 Kalmaegi was made worse by the clogged drainage system in an already prone to flooding area and apparently due to a lack of understanding of early warnings, said Deputy Director of the Philippine Civil Defense Office Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV.
After the Philippines, typhoon Kalmaegi remains a threat as it moves across the South China Sea towards the coast of Vietnam. Storm No. 13 has strengthened to match the level 4 typhoon and is expected to make landfall in central Vietnam on the evening of November 6.
The US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) said that Typhoon Kalmaegi will continue to strengthen as it moves towards central Vietnam with winds of up to 215 km/h.
According to the latest storm information from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on the afternoon of November 6, storm No. 13 Kalmaegi is moving west at a speed of 25 km/h. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h near the center and gusts of up to 205 km/h.
The latest storm in the East Sea is maintaining the intensity of a typhoon as it approaches Vietnam. Philippine typhoon forecasters expect Typhoon No. 13 Kalmaegi to weaken slightly before making landfall and weaken further after making landfall.
Following Typhoon No. 13 Kalmaegi, Typhoon Fung-wong, named Uwan in the Philippines, is expected to strengthen and could become a Category 3 or 4 typhoon or even a super typhoon this weekend, threatening to cause more flooding and damage to areas north of Luzon Island in the Philippines.
Before Typhoon Kalmaegi, in September, Super Typhoon Ragasa brought strong winds and heavy rain to the Philippines, Taiwan (China), Hong Kong (China), mainland China and was the strongest typhoon in the East Sea this year.
