Typhoon Man-yi will hit the Philippines as a destructive Cat 4 storm

Typhoon Man-yi, known as Pepito in the Philippines, is now the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane (96-109 mph/154-176 km/h) on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale and will continue to strengthen as it tracks west-northwest over the next few days.

This comes on the heels of three other typhoons that hit the Philippines during the last week, Typhoon Usagi, Typhoon Toraji and Typhoon Yinxing.

"Typhoons are overlapping," Gustavo Gonzalez, who coordinates U.N. humanitarian efforts in the Philippines, told the New York Times. "As soon as communities attempt to recover from the shock, the next tropical storm is already hitting them again."

On Friday, the island nation was still reeling from Typhoon Usagi, which made landfall over Baggao, Cagayan, at 1:30 p.m., local time, on Thursday, Nov. 14. Usagi, known as Ofel in the Philippines, will continue to lose wind intensity over the next couple of days as it tracks northward into southern Taiwan late Friday night, Nov. 15, or Saturday morning, Nov. 16. The storm is expected to dissipate near or over Taiwan by Monday, Nov. 18.

Man-yi is expected to make landfall in Luzon on Sunday, Nov. 17, as a Category 4 hurricane equivalent (130-157 mph/209-252 km/h) on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

Due to the expected rain and wind, Man-yi will be a 4 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale in the Philippines, the second-highest classification. Man-yi will produce widespread flooding, mudslides, power outages, structural damage and transportation delays.

Man-yi can produce wind gusts to 160 mph (260 km/h) across Luzon with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 170 mph (275 km/h) Saturday, Nov. 16, into Monday, Nov. 18. These winds can produce power outages, structural damage and logistical delays.

The storm is expected to produce rainfall up to 12 inches (300 mm) across Luzon and northeastern Visayas from Saturday, Nov. 16, into Monday, Nov. 18, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™of 18 inches (450 mm).

A resident wades through a flooded street caused by heavy rains from typhoon Toraji in Ilagan City, Isabela province, northern Philippines on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Noel Celis)

The Philippines is impacted by an average of 20 tropical storms per year. So far this year, nine storms have hit the country. Although the previous three typhoon seasons were below normal in the Western Pacific, this year there have been 26 storms so far this season that have caused $25.2 billion in damage, ranking this season the fifth most expensive.

AccuWeather Lead International Expert Jason Nicholls contributed to this report.