The Philippines is bracing for impact as Tropical Cyclone Verbena, known internationally as Koto, has strengthened into a full-blown typhoon according to the latest bulletin from the state weather bureau.
Typhoon Verbena's Current Status and Movement
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) confirmed on Thursday, November 27, 2025, that Verbena had intensified into a typhoon. As of 10 a.m. monitoring, weather specialists located the storm approximately 255 kilometers north of Pag-asa Island in Kalayaan, Palawan.
The typhoon packs maximum sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour near its center, with gustiness reaching up to 170 km/h. Meteorological instruments recorded a central pressure of 965 hPa as the system moves west northwestward at 15 km/h.
Pagasa has raised Tropical Wind Signal No. 1 over the Kalayaan Islands, alerting residents to potentially dangerous conditions. After passing through this area, forecasters expect Verbena to decelerate significantly and shift to a west southwestward direction through Friday afternoon, November 28.
Forecast and Expected Weakening Pattern
Weather authorities project that Verbena will experience slight weakening over the next 48 hours, potentially downgrading to a severe tropical storm by Friday evening or Saturday, November 29. However, the system may briefly re-intensify into typhoon status over the weekend before entering a more sustained weakening period.
Pagasa meteorologists continue to monitor the typhoon's development closely, updating predictions as new data becomes available from weather stations and satellite imagery.
Impact on Communities and Disaster Response
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has released a situational report indicating the storm's significant impact across multiple regions. The disaster bureau confirmed that two individuals remain missing due to the combined effects of Typhoon Verbena and the shear line weather phenomenon.
The weather system has affected over 78,000 families or 275,458 individuals across 473 barangays in several regions including Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Negros Island Region, Central Visayas and Caraga. Emergency response teams have been deployed to assist affected communities, providing evacuation support and relief goods to displaced residents.
Local government units in the path of the typhoon have activated their disaster risk reduction management offices, coordinating with national agencies to ensure prompt response to emergencies and distribution of essential supplies to impacted areas.
