The Philippines experiences an average of 8 tornadoes annually, although most of them are relatively weak and short-lived. It is not uncommon for the country to have tornadoes. The average intensities can range between EF0 and EF2 in the Enhanced Fujita scale (EF Scale), but some are identified as EFU due to insufficient data. Reports of tornadoes have increased since 2009. As of 2024, the highest tornadic activity was recorded in 2022 with a total number of 37 reported tornadoes. [1] These tornadoes tend to be mild compared to the strong tornadoes in the United States. [2] Waterspouts are also a general occurrence in the area, but in some instances, these can classify as a tornado once it reaches land. Most of these tornadoes typically form during the wet season and sometimes accompanied by typhoons.
A tornado, also known locally as buhawi, is a violently rotating column of air that descends from the base of a thunderstorm onto the ground. They typically form during severe thuderstorms or in the right-front quadrant of tropical cyclones, relative to its track with tropical storm intensity. Around half of tropical cylones can produce tornadoes in regions where the air has a brief trajectory over land, paired together with a strong convection. [3]
The country is situated near the equator with a tropical climate, characterized by relatively high temperature, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. It is also located west from the Pacific Ocean, making the country susceptible to natural disasters including typhoons. During the wet season, the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) shifts up north into the country. Warm, moist air is pushed upwards into the atmosphere which then cools and condenses into moisture, causing an increase in severe thunderstorms and tropical cyclones. [4] The southwest moonsoon or habagat also influences severe weather as warm, moist air travel towards the northeast portion of the country, causing heavy rainfall. [5]
There are multiple tornado hotspots in the Philippines, with Central Luzon and the Greater Manila Area having the most recorded tornadic activity. Luzon is surrounded by the Zambales Mountain Range to the west and the Sierra Madre Mountain Range to the east which influences atmospheric instability through orographic effect. Manila Bay also contributes with weather conditions by bringing warm, humid air towards the regions. [6] [7] Another tornado hotspot is located in central Mindanao, where tornadoes are heavily concentrated in Cotabato due to a similar effect. [8] The flash rate density in these areas are significantly higher compared to Visayas which only has two known smaller tornado hotspots, specifically in Panay, Negros, and much of the central region. [9] However, it is not yet possible to determine the influence of oscillations on tornado formation due to insufficient data. [1] Some of these tornadoes go unreported due to them being too weak to cause casualties or they touch down on rural areas with little to no population. Although in recent years, reports of tornadoes have increased due to the rise of internet access in the country, primarily through social media and news outlets.
The country currently does not have an active tornado alert system in place. The metorological agency, PAGASA, stated that they do not have the capability to set tornado warnings or tornado bulletins yet. [10] Instead, they rely on doppler weather radars and storm chasers on the ground to gather data on tornadoes. The most notable tornado incident is the Manila tornado, where a rare EF1 tornado swept through Metro Manila, caused by heavy monsoon rains. [11] It damaged more than 100 buildings and 2 people were injured. [12] Another notable example is an extremely rare EF2 tornado in Arayat, Pampanga during Typhoon Ewiniar (2024). This tornado reached estimated wind speeds of up to 201 km/h (125 mph), damaging at least 30 homes and 2 school buildings. Fortunately, no one was reported injured from the tornado. [13]
This list includes confirmed tornado incidents that had reported casualties.
| Event | Date | City | Province | No. of Tornadoes | Casualties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macabebe–Masantol tornado | June 13, 1968 | Macabebe & Masantol | Pampanga | 1 | 12 fatalities, 42 injured |
| The tornado formed shortly before midnight and moved through two villages, south of Clark Air Base, Pampanga where it destroyed 40 homes. A total of 8 people died in Macabebe while 4 people died in Masantol. [14] [15] | |||||
| Malita tornado | June 3, 1989 | Malita | Davao Occidental | 1 | 13 fatalities, 2 missing |
| A low pressure area located west of Mindanao caused the formation of a tornado. [16] Accompanied by flash flooding, it destroyed 150 homes and 2 bridges. A total of 13 people were killed, four of them were children, including a 9-month old baby. [17] [18] | |||||
| Manukan tornado | June 12, 1990 | Manukan | Zamboanga del Norte | 1 | 36 fatalities, >100 injured, 44 missing |
| At around 19:00 local time, a potential EF2 tornado struck through Manukan, more than 16 km away from nearby town, Dipolog. [1] It destroyed 59 houses, mostly made from coconut leaves and carried people, plants, and animals into the sea. [19] At least 36 people were killed, more than 100 people were injured, and 44 people went missing. [20] | |||||
| Lubang tornado | August 12, 1991 | Lubang | Occidental Mindoro | 1 | 1 fatality |
| A total of 10 houses were destroyed, 20 others that are partially damaged, and one person was killed when a tornado struck the town. [21] | |||||
| Cabanglasan tornado | August 16, 1991 | Cabanglasan | Bukidnon | 1 | 6 fatalities, 15 missing |
| The tornado hit four villages, damaging several homes and uprooting trees. A total of 6 people were killed by debris that were flung by the tornado and 15 people went missing, including several children. [21] | |||||
| Misamis Oriental tornado | July 2, 1994 | near Cagayan de Oro | Misamis Oriental | 1 | 2 fatalities, 11 missing |
| Four riverside villages near the city of Cagayan de Oro were hit by a tornado, leaving 2 children killed and 11 other people missing. [22] | |||||
| San Fernando, Pampanga tornado | October 16, 1994 | San Fernando | Pampanga | 1 | 3 fatalities |
| A tornado struck an evacuation center filled with people displaced by mudflows from Mount Pinatubo and killed 3 people. [22] | |||||
| Datu Piang tornado | November 29, 1994 | Datu Piang | Maguindanao del Sur | 1 | 14 fatalities |
| Eight farming villages were hit by a tornado during a heavy downpour. At least 160 houses and a school were destroyed, and 14 people went missing and feared dead. [23] | |||||
| 1995 Valencia, Bukidnon tornado | September 29, 1995 | Valencia | Bukidnon | 1 | 14 fatalities |
| A tornado touched down on a hilltop, causing a landslide that buried several families. It destroyed 67 homes and killed 14 people, seven of them were children with the youngest being 2-years old. [24] | |||||
| Event | Date | City | Province | No. of Tornadoes | Casualties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typhoon Lingling (Nanang) | November 6, 2001 | Mambajao | Camiguin | 1 | 22 fatalities |
| The typhoon triggered flash floods and the formation of a tornado that struck the island. Several people died in floods while others were killed after being hit by falling trees and debris. [25] | |||||
| Sasmuan tornado | May 11, 2006 | Sasmuan | Pampanga | 1 | 1 fatality, 2 injured |
| Two villages were hit by a tornado at around 21:00 local time, destroying 50 houses and causing a power outage. A person died from a heart attack while two others sustained injuries from flying debris. [26] | |||||
| 2007 Bulacan–Pampanga tornado event | July 30, 2007 | Baliwag, Bustos, & Candaba respectively | Bulacan & Pampanga | 2 | 2 injured |
| On July 30, around 16:00 local time, the towns of Baliwag and Bustos in Bulacan were struck by a tornado which lasted over 7-minutes long, where at least 27 houses were damaged in Baliwag, while at least 31 houses were damaged in Bustos. [27] On the same day, another tornado hit nearby Candaba, Pampanga. More than 12 houses were destroyed and 2 people were injured, one of them is a child. [28] [29] | |||||
| San Rafael, Bulacan tornado | August 7, 2007 | San Rafael | Bulacan | 1 | 1 injury |
| The town was struck by a tornado in the early morning, where it destroyed 27 houses and tossed a farmer into a nearby rice field, leaving him with minor injuries. [30] [31] | |||||
| San Antonio, Zambales tornado | August 8, 2007 | San Antonio | Zambales | 1 | 1 fatality |
| The town was hit by a tornado at around 15:00 local time, where at least 12 houses were damaged and a person was killed. [32] [33] | |||||
| Typhoon Fengshen (Frank) | June 21, 2008 | Sagay | Negros Occidental | 1 | 1 fatality |
| During Typhoon Fengshen, a tornado struck the coastal village of Molocaboc, destroying 16 houses and left one person dead. [34] | |||||
| Palauig tornado | August 4, 2008 | Palauig | Zambales | 1 | 1 fatality, 14 injured |
| A tornado overturned a bus on a national highway heading north of Zambales at around 10:00 local time, killing a student and injuring 14 other people. [35] | |||||
| Tupi, South Cotabato tornado | March 16, 2008 | Tupi | South Cotabato | 1 | 2 injured |
| Four farming villages were hit by a tornado at 15:00 local time caused by continuous heavy rainfalls, damaging at least 69 homes and caused a power outage that lasted for several hours. The tornado left 2 people injured from a falling tree and displaced 71 families. [36] | |||||
| Tropical Storm Nangka (Feria) | June 23, 2009 | Perez & Can-avid | Quezon & Eastern Samar | 2 | 4 fatalities, 2 injured |
| Two tornadoes appeared during Tropical Storm Nangka. In Perez, a boat with 15 passengers were hit by a tornado at around 01:00 local time, killing 4 people and injured 2 others. [37] [38] Another tornado hit four villages in Can-avid, damaging 26 houses. [39] | |||||
| Oton tornado | August 10, 2009 | Oton | Iloilo | 1 | 20 injured |
| A tornado struck near an elementary school, injuring 20 pupils. [39] | |||||
| Event | Date | City | Province | No. of Tornadoes | Casualties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bantayan tornado | August 17, 2010 | Bantayan | Cebu | 1 | 1 injured |
| One child was injured when he was hit by a flying galvanized iron sheet that was flung by a tornado. At least 27 houses were also reported damaged. [40] [41] | |||||
| Argao tornado | August 19, 2010 | Argao | Cebu | 1 | 2 injured |
| A couple of days after Bantayan, another tornado struck Argao at around 02:00 local time during a heavy downpour which lasted for two minutes. Around 14 houses were damaged and one person was injured after getting hit by a hard object after her house collapsed. [40] [42] | |||||
| Tropical Storm Meari (Falcon) | June 24, 2011 | Quezon City | Metro Manila | 1 | 1 injured |
| A tornado appeared during Tropical Storm Meari and struck seven villages. Homes had their roofs peeled off, while trees and electric posts were toppled. A total of 30 houses were damaged. [43] [44] | |||||
| Cagayan de Oro tornado | July 29, 2011 | Cagayan de Oro | Misamis Oriental | 1 | 20 injured |
| Two barangays were hit by a tornado at around 16:00 local time, damaging at least 70 houses and injured 20 people, with one of the people got injured from a steel roofing. [45] | |||||
| 2011 Valencia, Bukidnon tornado | September 3, 2011 | Valencia | Bukidnon | 1 | 1 fatality, 4 injured |
| At around 16:30 local time, a tornado hit three barangays and destroyed at least 39 houses. It left 4 people injured and a toddler dead. [46] | |||||
| Lake Sebu tornado | April 10, 2012 | Lake Sebu | South Cotabato | 1 | 1 fatality, 2 injured |
| At around 14:30 local time, a strong tornado hits two villages that caused several damaged homes, killed a 12-year-old girl, and 2 others injured. [47] [48] | |||||
| Pinamungajan tornado | May 16, 2012 | Pinamungajan | Cebu | 1 | 3 injured |
| At least 68 houses were damaged and 3 people were injured when a tornado struck a barangay in Pinamungajan. [49] | |||||
| Kabasalan tornado | September 15, 2012 | Kabasalan | Zamboanga Sibugay | 1 | 1 injured |
| A tornado damaged several houses and buildings, including the town's public market at 03:15 local time, which lasted for 5-minutes. Only one person was confirmed to be injured, caused by a corrugated galvanized iron sheet that was flung, while the actual true number of people injured were undetermined. [50] [51] [52] | |||||
| Infanta tornado | October 25, 2012 | Infanta | Quezon | 1 | 1 injured |
| Four barangays were struck by a tornado, leaving at least 15 houses damaged and a person injured. [53] | |||||
| Liguasan tornado | March 25, 2013 | Liguasan Marsh | Maguindanao | 1 | 12 fatalities |
| A tornado capsized an overloaded boat carrying 18 people as it travelled through the marsh, leaving 12 people dead. [54] | |||||
| Minglanilla–Talisay tornado | June 18, 2013 | Minglanilla & Talisay | Cebu | 1 | 3 injured |
| At around 14:00 local time, a potential EF2 tornado first touched down in Minglanilla. [1] It damaged at least 50 houses and an animal feeds factory. The tornado reached estimated wind speed of up to 200 km/h (124 mph) and injured 3 people. [55] At 15:45 local time, the tornado reached Talisay where at least 8 houses were damaged. [56] A day later, Minglanilla was declared under the state of calamity. [57] | |||||
| Tropical Storm Rumbia (Gorio) | June 29, 2013 | Jomalig | Quezon | 1 | 4 injured |
| A total of 42 houses were damaged by the tornado during Tropical Storm Rumbia and four people were injured, including a 2-month old baby. [58] [59] | |||||
| 2013 Cebu tornado | November 4, 2013 | Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Compostela, Danao, & Carmen | Cebu | 1 | 13 injured |
| At 16:50 local time, a severe thunderstorm was identified in Northern Bohol, heading northwest towards Olango Island. At 19:45 local time, PAGASA recorded wind speeds of around 80 km/h as it heads to the island. [60] The tornado touched down and blew the roof of a chapel, damaged a basketball court, and a barangay hall. As it reached Mactan, Lapu-Lapu, a total of at least 37 buildings were damaged, trees were uprooted, and a few people were injured. At 20:00 local time, the tornado reached Mandaue, a total of 27 houses were damaged and several people were injured. Parkmall, a local shopping mall in Mandaue also sustained some minor damages. [61] [62] It then moved north towards Compostela, where it damaged 3 houses. Meanwhile, in Danao, one person was injured after being hit by debris, while in Carmen, the tornado injured another person after being hit by the steel gate that was carried by strong winds. [63] It was then classified as a potential EF2 tornado. [1] | |||||
| Midsayap tornado | May 24, 2014 | Midsayap | Cotabato | 1 | 2 fatalities, 1 injury |
| Several houses were damaged by uprooted trees caused by a tornado that left 2 people dead and a person injured. [64] | |||||
| Calbayog tornado | June 27, 2014 | Calbayog | Samar | 1 | 3 injured |
| The tornado hit a barangay and destroyed 85 houses, most were made of light materials. It injured 3 people and around 500 people were affected. [65] | |||||
| Isabela, Negros Occidental tornado | October 22, 2014 | Isabela | Negros Occidental | 1 | 2 injured |
| At around 13:20 local time, a tornado damaged a total of 106 houses, a health center, a public market, and a school which lasted for 15-minutes. [66] Two people were injured. [67] | |||||
| Zamboanga City tornado | June 10, 2015 | Zamboanga City | Zamboanga del Sur | 1 | 1 injured |
| The town was hit by a tornado at 19:00 local time, destorying at least 28 homes and injured a person. [68] | |||||
| Pikit tornado | August 13, 2015 | Pikit | Cotabato | 1 | 7 injured |
| The tornado struck several residential communities, leaving 151 houses destroyed. It also destroyed a mosque and a school building. [69] [70] | |||||
| Manila tornado | August 14, 2016 | Manila & Quezon City | Metro Manila | 1 | 2 injured |
| A rare EF1 tornado struck Metro Manila at around 16:30 local time, caused by heavy monsoon rains. As early as 16:00 local time, a severe thunderstorm was spotted over Manila Bay moving east towards the metropolitan area. [11] [12] The tornado first touched down in Baseco Compound and was seen traveling towards Intramuros and Sampaloc, before dissipating in Mariana, Quezon City. [71] [72] It lasted for around 15 minutes where it damaged more than 100 buildings, including the National Press Club in Intramuros, and injured 2 people. [73] | |||||
| Tampakan tornado | August 30, 2016 | Tampakan | South Cotabato | 1 | 1 injured |
| Several houses were destroyed and some agricultural crops were damaged by a tornado. A person was injured when an uprooted tree fell onto a house. [74] | |||||
| Manapla tornado | December 13, 2016 | Manapla | Negros Occidental | 1 | 7 injured |
| More than 80 structures were destroyed including a covered court and a church. 2 people were left injured. [75] [76] | |||||
| Bacolod tornado | June 15 & 16, 2017 | Bacolod | Negros Occidental | 2 | 19 injured |
| On June 15, at 19:30 local time, a tornado struck three barangays and destroyed at least 19 houses. [77] A day later, at 20:30 local time, another tornado hit several villages and destroyed 13 houses. Both tornadoes left 19 people injured. [78] | |||||
| Tropical Storm Kai-tak (Urduja) | December 16, 2017 | Caibiran | Biliran | 1 | 14 fatalities |
| At 19:00 local time, torrential rains and a tornado that were brought by the typhoon resulted in a landslide that burried multiple houses and killing 14 people. [79] [80] [81] | |||||
| Davao City tornado | July 22, 2018 | Davao City | Davao del Sur | 1 | 2 injured |
| Over 300 people evecuated and 2 injured after a tornado hit two coastal areas in Davao City and caused damages. [82] [83] | |||||
| Typhoon Mangkhut (Ompong) | September 14, 2018 | Marikina | Metro Manila | 1 | 2 injured |
| At around 17:00 local time, a tornado struck multiple areas in Markina during Typhoon Mangkhut. Multiple structures including Markina Shoe Museum and Kapitan Moy Residence were partially damaged and a century-old tree was uprooted. It left several homes damaged and injured 2 people after being electrocuted by a live wire. [84] [85] [86] | |||||
| Magalang tornado | July 29, 2019 | Magalang | Pampanga | 1 | 7 injured |
| Multiple houses and a school building were damaged by a tornado, leaving 5 students and two others injured after getting hit by fallen debris. [87] [88] | |||||
| Marogong tornado | August 3, 2019 | Marogong | Lanao del Sur | 1 | 4 injured |
| A tornado destroyed 15 houses, a mosque, and a school building. Four students from the school were injured. [89] [90] | |||||
| Typhoon Phanfone (Ursula) | December 25, 2019 | Calapan | Oriental Mindoro | 1 | 1 injured |
| At least 5 homes were damaged as a tornado appeared during Tyhoon Phanfone. A 50-year old local market also suffered major damage inflicted by the tornado. [91] [92] | |||||
| Event | Date | City | Province | No. of Tornadoes | Casualties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotabato City tornado | April 21, 2022 | Cotabato City | Maguindanao del Norte | 1 | 1 injured |
| A total of 60 houses were damaged by a tornado on the riverside. It also damaged multiple pump boats and injured one person. [93] | |||||
| M'lang tornado | June 2, 2022 | M'lang | Cotabato | 1 | 3 injured |
| More than 100 houses were damaged and 3 people were injured when a tornado struck several villages during a heavy rainfall. [94] | |||||
| Iloilo province tornado event | January 3, 2023 | Iloilo City, Oton & Lambunao | Iloilo | 2 | 2 injured |
| At 05:30 local time, a tornado struck the Arevalo district in Iloilo City and nearby Oton, Iloilo where it damaged more than 200 houses and injured 2 people when an uprooted coconut tree hit their house. [95] At 23:00 local time, another tornado hit Lambunao, Iloilo where it damaged 22 houses. [96] | |||||
| Bacolor tornado | June 22, 2023 | Bacolor | Pampanga | 1 | 1 injured |
| At around 18:00 local time, a tornado struck two barangays and damaged 32 structures, including a church and a gasoline station. A power outage occured after several trees were toppled. One person was reportedly injured from the incident. [97] [98] [99] | |||||
| San Juan, Batangas tornado | September 27, 2024 | San Juan | Batangas | 1 | 2 injured |
| The tornado partially damaged a public market and several structures after it hit two baanagays. The incident left 2 people injured in a vehicular accident. [100] [101] | |||||
| Iloilo City tornado | April 29, 2025 | Iloilo City | Iloilo | 1 | 1 injured |
| A tornado ripped apart a portion of a hotel's entrance ceiling in Iloilo City and damaged several vehicles, leaving a food delivery rider injured. [102] | |||||
| Daet tornado | September 14, 2025 | Daet | Camarines Norte | 1 | 2 fatalities, 2 injured |
| At around 04:30 local time, a tornado touched down and struck the town. It damaged several houses, uprooted trees, and killed 2 people while 2 others were injured. [103] [104] | |||||
| Typhoon Ragasa (Nando) | September 2025 | Santa Maria, Olongapo, Masinloc, & Meycauayan respectively | Ilocos Sur, Zambales, & Bulacan | 4 | 1 injury |
| Multiple tornadoes were reported during the typhoon, often accompanied by monsoon winds. On September 22, a tornado struck three villages in Santa Maria, Ilocus Sur where it damaged 48 houses. [105] [106] Two days later, three additional tornadoes hit Zambales and Bulacan. At 14:00 local time, a tornado damaged 3 houses and toppled trees in Olongapo, Zambales. [107] Meanwhile in Masinloc, at around 16:00 local time, another tornado tore through a public market. At 16:45 local time, a tornado in Meycauayan, Bulacan damaged 13 houses and scattered multiple debris. A person was injured after falling from a motorcycle due to strong winds. [108] | |||||
This list includes confirmed tornado incidents that had no reported casualties but had reported damages.
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