Dozens killed as fierce tropical storm batters the Philippines as president warns country must 'adapt' to climate change

26 July 2025, 

Residents of Malabon city in the Philippines wade along a flooded road as Typhoon Co-may intensified seasonal monsoon rains. Picture: Alamy

By Jennifer Kennedy

Typhoon Co-may tore through the north of the Phillippines this week, leaving 25 people dead and eight missing

Typhoon Co-may hit the town of Agno in Pangasinan province on Thursday night, with winds reaching speeds of 74 miles per hour.

The storm followed more than a week of seasonal monsoon drains that lashed a large part of the Philippines.

At least 25 deaths have been reported since last weekend, and eight people have been reported missing. The deaths were mostly caused by flash floods, falling trees, landslides, and electrocution, according to officials in the Philippines.

Military personnel, police officers, coast guard members, firefighters, and civilian volunteers have been mobilised to help rescue affected residents.

Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Thursday: "Everything has changed."

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A couple aboard a wooden boat docks at their submerged home at a village in Calumpit town, Bulacan province. Picture: Getty

The typhoon has now been downgraded to a tropical storm. Picture: Alamy

He later convened an emergency meeting with disaster-response officials, emphasising that both the government and the public must adjust to the growing frequency and unpredictability of natural disasters driven by climate change.

Over 80 towns and cities have declared a state of calamity, allowing quicker access to emergency funds and the freezing of prices on essential goods. Mostly of these places are on Luzon, the largest and most populous island in the Philippines.

278,000 people have been forced to seek shelter in emergency shelters or with relatives. Around 3,000 homes have been damaged, according to the government's disaster response agency.

Schools in Manila have been closed since Wednesday. Classes are also suspended in 35 provinces across the main northern region of Luzon.

The United States has said it will provide military aircraft to assist in delivering food and other aid to remote areas if weather conditions deteriorate further.

Forecasts predict more than a dozen more tropical storms will strike the Philippines before the end of 2025.