Super Typhoon Fung-wong, the most powerful storm to hit the Philippines in years, made landfall on the country’s north-eastern coast on Sunday night, December 7, 2025, unleashing devastating winds and torrential rains that have left at least two people dead and forced more than one million residents to flee their homes. With sustained winds clocking in at 115 mph and maximum gusts reaching a staggering 143 mph, Fung-wong’s arrival has tested the resilience of a nation still reeling from the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi just days earlier.
According to The Guardian, Fung-wong slammed into Dinalungan town in Aurora province, bringing with it a rain and wind band that stretched an astonishing 1,118 miles—enough to potentially cover two-thirds of the entire Philippine archipelago. The timing could hardly have been worse: the country was still grappling with the devastation wrought by Kalmaegi, which had killed at least 224 people in central island provinces on December 2 before continuing its deadly path into Vietnam, where five more lives were lost.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. responded to the dual disasters by declaring a state of emergency, citing not only the extensive damage already caused by Kalmaegi but the anticipated calamity from Fung-wong, known locally as Uwan. “The rain and wind were so strong there was nearly zero visibility,” Roberto Monterola, a disaster-mitigation officer for Catanduanes, told The Guardian as the typhoon approached. Despite urgent calls for evacuation, some residents remained behind, leading to harrowing rescue operations. “Our personnel rescued 14 people who were trapped on the roof of a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood,” Monterola recounted. “A father also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him and four relatives.”
The scale of the evacuation has been remarkable. More than one million people were moved from high-risk villages, particularly in the Bicol region, a coastal area especially vulnerable to Pacific cyclones and mudflows from Mayon, one of the country’s most active volcanoes. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who oversees the country’s disaster response agencies and the military, issued a grave warning on national television: “We need to do this because when it’s already raining or the typhoon has hit and flooding has started, it’s hard to rescue people.” He emphasized that more than 30 million Filipinos could be exposed to the hazards posed by Fung-wong, including the risk of flash floods, landslides, and coastal tidal surges.
Authorities acted swiftly, preemptively declaring the shutdown of schools and most government offices in northern provinces for Monday and Tuesday, December 8 and 9. The storm’s reach extended far beyond the immediate impact zone. At least 325 domestic and 61 international flights were canceled, stranding thousands of travelers. More than 6,600 commuters and cargo workers found themselves stuck in at least 109 seaports, as the coast guard prohibited ships from venturing into treacherous seas. Officials warned of a "high risk of life-threatening and damaging storm surge"—with waves nearly 10 feet high—threatening the coasts of more than 20 provinces and regions, including the densely populated metropolitan Manila.
But the Philippines was not alone in facing nature’s fury in 2025. As reported by the Associated Press, the year was marked by a relentless series of extreme weather events, from floods and fires to hurricanes and droughts, all intensified by the growing impacts of climate change. In Pakistan, flash flooding swept away children, leaving families to mourn in the aftermath. In Ghana, rising seas battered homes, forcing residents to confront the harsh new realities of coastal erosion. Greece and Los Angeles, meanwhile, wrestled with wildfires that consumed homes and forests—even during the winter months, when such blazes were once rare.
Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean, flooding streets in Jamaica and triggering deadly landslides in Haiti. In Mexico, weeks of heavy rain led to catastrophic flooding, with images of navy officials helping residents wade through streets turned to rivers. The effects of these disasters rippled through communities, disrupting lives and livelihoods and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
Animals, too, bore the brunt of the year’s extreme weather. Pigs perished in their pens in Mexico as floodwaters rose. In Kentucky, a woman rescued a cat stranded on a porch during flooding. Cows waded through floodwaters in Argentina, while in Sudan, a farmer carried livestock through submerged fields. The devastation was not limited to too much water; drought and fire also took a toll. In France, the head of a dead fish lay exposed in a nearly dry riverbed, and in Turkey, a farmer grieved over animals lost to wildfire.
Yet amid the suffering and loss, there were moments of courage and determination. The Associated Press highlighted the bravery of those who fought to restore ecosystems and protect lands. In Southern California, Navajo Scouts firefighters cleared debris as they battled wildfires. In Colombia, Indigenous children trained to guard their lands, playing on the walls of an old military barrier—a bittersweet image of hope and resilience. In India, fishermen worked to restore a lake choked by waste, while in Mexico City, women revitalized ancient chinampa farms, breathing new life into a tradition dating back to the Aztecs.
Environmental protection often came at a personal cost. In Senegal, a farmer who had lost his left hand in a past conflict with herders now faced heightened tensions as climate change dried up pastureland, deepening competition for scarce resources. Indigenous communities around the globe, from Brazil’s Amazon to India’s Gadaba villages, continued to demand land rights and environmental justice, even as they bore some of the deepest harms from a warming planet.
As 2026 approaches, the challenges show no signs of abating. The Philippines faces a long road to recovery, with millions displaced and infrastructure battered by back-to-back typhoons. Globally, the impacts of climate change are accelerating, making extreme weather events more frequent and severe. But the stories of resilience—families sheltering together in evacuation tents, firefighters risking their lives, communities coming together to restore what has been lost—offer a glimmer of hope in an uncertain future.
The year 2025 will be remembered not only for its storms and tragedies but for the determination of people and communities to weather the extremes and fight for a safer, more sustainable world.
