Typhoon Kalmaegi Devastates Philippines, Targets Central Vietnam Next

Typhoon Kalmaegi has left severe destruction across the central Philippines and now threatens Vietnam’s coast after rapidly strengthening over the South China Sea. The storm, the deadliest in Asia this year, killed at least 114 people in the Philippines, inundated cities, and displaced thousands as residents begin the difficult recovery amid deep mud and wreckage.

Philippines Counts the Human and Economic Toll

Cebu province bore the brunt, with neighbourhoods along the Mananga River flattened and streets choked with overturned cars. Talisay and Cebu City saw homes swept away as torrents surged with little warning. Rescue teams waded through waist-deep waters to evacuate stranded residents from rooftops and classrooms converted into shelters. A state of national calamity was declared as authorities mobilised relief, only weeks after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake had already strained local capacity.

Why Kalmaegi Became So Deadly

Kalmaegi made landfall as the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane but moved slowly, wringing out extreme rainfall over densely populated terrain. Cebu’s rugged topography funnelled runoff into low-lying communities with inadequate drainage, leading to rapid river rises and flash flooding. Most fatalities were due to drowning. Meteorologists noted that while wind categories capture public attention, water—via rain, storm surge, and river flooding—remains the primary killer in tropical cyclones.

Vietnam Braces for Category 4 Landfall

Over open water, Kalmaegi intensified to the equivalent of Category 4, with winds near 215 km/h, and is forecast to hit central Vietnam on Thursday night. Provinces including Danang, Quang Ngai and Dak Lak face damaging winds, storm surge and prolific rainfall. Authorities planned large-scale evacuations, with reports indicating around 350,000 people to be moved in Gia Lai alone. The strike comes as central Vietnam is still clearing record floods that submerged UNESCO-listed Hoi An and damaged homes, transport links and power supplies. A trailing system, Tropical Storm Fung-Wong (Uwan), may intensify later this week, threatening northern Luzon with additional flooding.

Exam Oriented Facts

• Kalmaegi: deadliest Asian typhoon of 2025; at least 114 fatalities in the Philippines.
• Strengthened to Category 4 equivalent over the South China Sea; Vietnam landfall expected Thursday night.
• Philippine rainfall reached 150–250 mm in 24 hours in several central areas.
• Vietnam prepared mass evacuations, including ~350,000 people in Gia Lai province.

Climate Signal: Hotter Seas, Heavier Rainfall

Exceptionally warm western Pacific waters provided abundant energy for rapid intensification, while a moisture-laden atmosphere boosted rainfall efficiency. Scientists link such extremes to human-driven warming, which raises sea-surface temperatures and increases air moisture capacity. The result: storms that may not always be strongest by wind at landfall yet deliver catastrophic freshwater flooding, exposing vulnerabilities in drainage, land use, and early-warning uptake across coastal megacities and river basins.