Weather tracker: Eight dead as Tropical Storm Fengshen hits Philippines | Philippines

Eight people died and 27,000 people were evacuated after Tropical Storm Fengshen hit the Philippines over the weekend. Fengshen made landfall in the Western Pacific Ocean near the municipality of Gubat on the southern tip of the island of Luzon, and although it remained on the weak side in terms of sustained winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge caused serious damage in the area.

Expected waves of 2 meters (6ft) led the Philippines weather bureau Pagasa to issue a moderate coastal inundation risk warning for the region. Following these warnings, 27 thousand people were evacuated from Albay province and moved to a safer area further inland. Despite the precautions, 5 people died when a tree fell on a house near Pitogo on Sunday morning.

While the Philippines is no stranger to tropical storms and systems stronger than Fengshen regularly affect the country, Fengshen follows a series of powerful earthquakes that occurred near the coast of the islands of Cebu and Mindanao in the past few weeks, killing 87 people.

The storm will continue to track the Philippines and bring heavy rainfall and flooding before exiting into the South China Sea. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) predicts Fengshen will strengthen slightly and reach sustained winds of 70 mph as it turns southwest and moves toward Vietnam. The 2025 typhoon season also includes storms affecting Vietnam, with Typhoons Kajiki and Bualoi hitting the country in August and September, respectively.

The northeast monsoon season continues in Southeast Asia and heavy rains are coming to Kerala and Tamil Nadu regions of India. Typically occurring between October and December, the northeast or “retreating” monsoon is a reversal of wind direction across southeast Asia. The change in wind direction causes cool air from China to descend across the Bay of Bengal, triggering heavy rainfall and storms moving towards eastern India. India’s meteorological department has warned of more heavy rains this week as the season begins. Up to 100-150mm of rainfall is possible along India’s east coast this week, bringing the risk of further flooding. As the North Indian cyclone season gains momentum, there is also the potential for a tropical depression to form over the Bay of Bengal and move towards India.