Severe Tropical Storm Co-may is drenching northern Philippines and threatening some rice and corn crops following a second landfall on Friday morning after clipping a northwestern peninsula overnight.
The storm — known locally as Emong — crossed the coast near Candon, a small city around five hours drive northwest of the capital Manila, according to the national weather agency. The tropical cyclone was packing top sustained winds of 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour, the bureau said.
The storm is forecast to track northeastward over land and emerge over water into the Luzon Strait later Friday, and the system has weakened since crossing the coast as it interacted with mountainous terrain. Government work and classes in the Philippines were shut for a fifth straight day.
The death toll from the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and three tropical storms including Co-may increased to 25 on Friday from 12, according to the national disaster agency. Eight people are still missing, the agency said, adding that the combined damage to agriculture and infrastructure from the weather events was at 4.35 billion pesos ($76.8 million).
The Philippines sees an average of 20 cyclones a year, with eight or nine hitting the coast. In 2024, a blitz of six powerful storms made landfall within a matter of weeks, sapping economic growth and causing agriculture losses.
Rice harvesting started this month and the collection of corn typically begins in August, according to the US Foreign Agricultural Service. The Philippines is the world’s biggest rice importer and any damage to domestic crops could force the nation to seek more supply from overseas.
Top photo: Floodwaters in Malabon, metro Manila on July 24. Photographer: Jam Sta Rosa/AFP/Getty Images.
Copyright 2025 Bloomberg.
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