At least 40 people have been confirmed killed as a result of Tropical Storm Trami, which has gone out to sea. Philippine rescue teams battled through extensive flooding on Friday to reach citizens stuck on roofs.

Tens of thousands of people were displaced as a result of the storm, which dropped two months’ worth of rain in two days in certain areas of the nation.

Many others are still stranded on their home roofs and pleading for assistance. Since the rain has ceased, we are optimistic that the waters will go away today. The Bicol region’s police director, Andre Dizon, told AFP

Many places have been ravaged by the storm’s effects, especially in Bicol, where President Ferdinand Marcos noted to reporters that it is difficult to reach impacted areas because of unforeseen landslides.

“In places that had never seen landslides before, there were landslides… Since the water has nowhere to go, I assume the earth is fully saturated.

“We haven’t been able to get in yet, but the cities of Naga and Legazpi were reporting a lot of casualties,” Marcos continued.

The death toll rose when Trami passed across the South China Sea. Six dead were found in the flood-ravaged town of Sampaloc in Batangas province, south of the capital Manila, police staffer Sergeant Nelson Cabuso told AFP.

Yesterday, a flash flood struck the neighbourhood. To see whether there are any more victims, our personnel are still in the area,” he stated.

According to an AFP count by police and disaster officials, a flash flood in the seaside town of Subic Ilaya claimed the lives of five more persons, bringing the total to at least 40, said Corporal Alvin de Leon.

Along the west coast of Luzon, there were still storm surge warnings in effect, with possible waves as high as two meters.

More than 390 millimetres of rain were recorded in Batangas on October 24 and 25, setting a new record. On Friday, authorities in Luzon shuttered all government buildings and educational institutions, advising people to exercise care.

By Thursday, some 193,000 people had been evacuated, mostly in Bicol, where over 30,000 people were rescued in a single day due to catastrophic floods.

Homes were almost completely flooded by flooding in several places, and those who were stuck on roofs used social media to call for help. To help people in need, rescue boats were sent to Naga and Nabua.

Every year, the Philippines is hit by about 20 powerful storms that cause extensive damage. But according to recent research, storms in the Asia-Pacific region are becoming stronger, striking coasts earlier, and remaining strong on land for longer due to climate change.