Typhoons in the Philippines
Typhoons occur very often in the Philippines. On average, they happen about 15 times a year. The hardest hit regions are Calabarzon, Bicol and Central Luzon.The typhoon season in the Pacific usually begins with less severe storms in April and does not end until November. The most severe typhoons usually occur in August and September.
The most severe typhoon to make landfall in the Philippines in the past 12 months was »Noru«. It reached a wind speed of up to 237 km/h on September 25, 2022 at 2:00 pm local time near Patnanungan and was 6 kilometers in diameter at the time. According to the internationally accepted Saffir-Simpson classification, this corresponded to a category 4 typhoon. On the open sea, speeds of up to 256 km/h were measured (category 5).
Other natural hazards in the Philippines:
› Volcanos
› Earthquakes
› Tsunamis
› The most severe natural disasters worldwide
Back to overview: Philippines
Current satellite image of the western Pacific
06.02.2023 © CIMSS University of Wisconsin-Madison
Most violent typhoons in the Philippines since 2018
Noru: September 22-28, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 256 km/h
on land:
max. 237 km/h
Diameter:
max. 111 km
Air pressure:
below 919 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
Affected regions
Calabarzon
Central Luzon
Calabarzon
Central Luzon
Muifa: September 6-16, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 213 km/h
Diameter:
max. 148 km
Air pressure:
below 942 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On September 11th, 2022 at 8:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 355 km northwest of Basco in Cagayan Valley.
Hinnamnor: August 28 to September 6, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 256 km/h
Diameter:
max. 93 km
Air pressure:
below 915 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On September 2nd, 2022 at 8:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 344 km northwest of Basco in Cagayan Valley.
Rai: December 13-21, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 267 km/h
on land:
max. 237 km/h
Diameter:
max. 185 km
Eye:
max. 56 km
Air pressure:
below 915 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
Affected regions
Caraga
Central Visayas
Western Visayas
Mimaropa
Caraga
Central Visayas
Western Visayas
Mimaropa
Chanthu: September 6-18, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 274 km/h
on land:
max. 267 km/h
Diameter:
max. 222 km
Eye:
max. 56 km
Air pressure:
below 908 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
Affected regions
Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley
Surigae: April 13-25, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 306 km/h
Diameter:
max. 296 km
Eye:
max. 185 km
Air pressure:
below 888 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On April 18th, 2021 at 8:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 212 km northwest of Arteche in Eastern Visayas.
Vamco: November 8-16, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 207 km/h
on land:
max. 180 km/h
Diameter:
max. 778 km
Eye:
max. 74 km
Air pressure:
below 948 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
Affected regions
Bicol
Calabarzon
Central Luzon
Bicol
Calabarzon
Central Luzon
Goni: October 25 to November 6, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 309 km/h
on land:
max. 278 km/h
Diameter:
max. 611 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 888 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
Affected regions
Bicol
Calabarzon
Central Luzon
Bicol
Calabarzon
Central Luzon
Molave: October 21-29, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 189 km/h
on land:
max. 152 km/h
Diameter:
max. 889 km
Air pressure:
below 940 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
Affected regions
Eastern Visayas
Bicol
Calabarzon
Mimaropa
Eastern Visayas
Bicol
Calabarzon
Mimaropa
Maysak: August 26 to September 7, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 176 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Air pressure:
below 935 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Local warning level:
TCWS 4
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On August 29th, 2020 at 11:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 603 km northwest of Pandan in Bicol.
Vongfong: May 8-18, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 180 km/h
Diameter:
max. 278 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 960 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Local warning level:
TCWS 4
Affected regions
Eastern Visayas
Bicol
Calabarzon
Central Luzon
Ilocos
Eastern Visayas
Bicol
Calabarzon
Central Luzon
Ilocos
Phanfone: December 19-29, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 194 km/h
Diameter:
max. 389 km
Eye:
max. 74 km
Air pressure:
below 958 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
Affected regions
Eastern Visayas
Western Visayas
Mimaropa
Eastern Visayas
Western Visayas
Mimaropa
Kammuri: November 24 to December 6, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 217 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1000 km
Eye:
max. 167 km
Air pressure:
below 940 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
Affected regions
Eastern Visayas
Bicol
Calabarzon
Mimaropa
Eastern Visayas
Bicol
Calabarzon
Mimaropa
Nakri: November 4-11, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 120 km/h
Diameter:
max. 889 km
Air pressure:
below 975 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Local warning level:
TCWS 4
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On November 7th, 2019 at 8:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 324 km east of Lubang in Mimaropa.
Mitag: September 24 to October 5, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 143 km/h
on land:
max. 130 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Eye:
max. 56 km
Air pressure:
below 965 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Local warning level:
TCWS 4
Affected regions
Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley
Tapah: September 17-23, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 120 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1148 km
Air pressure:
below 970 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Local warning level:
TCWS 4
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On September 20th, 2019 at 11:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 656 km northwest of Basco in Cagayan Valley.
Lingling: August 30 to September 12, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 207 km/h
Diameter:
max. 852 km
Eye:
max. 74 km
Air pressure:
below 935 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On September 3rd, 2019 at 11:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 207 km west of Basco in Cagayan Valley.
Bailu: August 19-26, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 106 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Air pressure:
below 980 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Local warning level:
TCWS 3
Affected regions
Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley
Lekima: August 2-14, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 217 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1159 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 918 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Local warning level:
TCWS 5
The typhoon did not make direct landfall. On August 8th, 2019 at 8:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 484 km northwest of Basco in Cagayan Valley.
Danas: July 14-23, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 83 km/h
on land:
max. 65 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1148 km
Air pressure:
below 984 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Local warning level:
TCWS 2
Affected regions
Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley
These evaluations are based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Individual data have been summarized or translated.