Visayas: Typhoon Kalmaegi has battered central parts of the Philippines, causing severe flooding, landslides and widespread displacement.
At least two people have been confirmed dead, according to the national disaster agency and local media. The storm made landfall just before midnight, bringing torrential rain and powerful winds across the Visayas, southern Luzon and northern Mindanao.
Kalmaegi was moving westward over the islands of Cebu, Negros and Panay with sustained winds of 150km/h (93mph) and gusts reaching up to 185km/h. Streets turned into rivers in several areas of Cebu province, where videos posted on social media showed cars floating and residents stranded on rooftops. In Talisay City, entire homes were submerged, with only their roofs visible above the floodwater.
TROPICAL CYCLONE BULLETIN NR. 16
Typhoon #TinoPH (KALMAEGI)
Issued at 5:00 PM, 04 November 2025
Valid for broadcast until the next bulletin at 8:00 PM today.“TINO” MAINTAINS ITS STRENGTH AND IS ABOUT TO EMERGE OVER THE SULU SEA.
Link: https://t.co/g0TZ6CDlmV pic.twitter.com/XwuntYlErb
— PAGASA-DOST (@dost_pagasa) November 4, 2025
In Tabuelan, Cebu, a landslide caused key roads impassable, hampering rescue operations. Meanwhile, in Bohol, one person died after being crushed by a fallen tree, while an elderly man on Leyte drowned after being trapped in his flooded home.
More than 156,000 people were preemptively evacuated, with hundreds of thousands more affected across multiple provinces. The Office of Civil Defence reported heavy damage to infrastructure, power outages and collapsed homes.
Over 160 domestic and international flights were cancelled, and maritime authorities ordered all sea vessels to stay in port or head to the nearest safe harbour. PAGASA, the state weather agency, warned of life-threatening and damaging storm surges exceeding 3 metres (10 feet) in coastal and low-lying communities. It added that Kalmaegi, although slightly weakening due to interaction with land, would maintain typhoon strength as it sweeps across the archipelago.
The Philippines, struck by an average of 20 tropical storms each year, is still reeling from recent disasters, including earthquakes and Super Typhoon Ragasa, which killed at least 10 people in September.
Meteorologists said at least three to five more storms are expected before the end of December. Scientists warn that climate change is making storms more frequent and intense, placing vulnerable communities at even greater risk.
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