Tropical Storm Co-May

In mid-July, PAGASA began monitoring an area of low pressure northeast of Ilocos Norte. The system started to organize on July 22 as it moved westward, prompting the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) to designate it as Invest 99W. Later that day, PAGASA declared that the probability of cyclone formation was "high", and the disturbance intensified into a tropical depression, receiving the local name Emong. Concurrently, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA), citing high probability for tropical cyclogenesis before upgrading the system to a tropical depression and designated it 11W. The JMA also classified the system as a tropical depression shortly thereafter. By this time, however, both PAGASA and the JTWC had already upgraded 11W to a tropical storm. The JMA followed suit, assigning it the international name Co-May, the replacement name for the retired name Lekima following the 2019 season. The storm then turned west-southwestward towards the northwestern tip of Pangasinan. After undergoing rapid intensification overnight, Co-May was upgraded to a severe tropical storm by both PAGASA and the JMA on the morning of July 24. Later in the day, PAGASA and the JTWC announced that it reached typhoon intensity. The storm then altered its course, turning southeastward towards the area between Pangasinan and La Union. Subsequently, the JMA also upgraded Co-May to a typhoon, but it was downgraded to Severe Tropical Storm in post-analysis. Then at 22:40 PHT (14:40 UTC), it made its first landfall in Agno, Pangasinan, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall. This made Co-May the most powerful typhoon to strike the province since Chan-hom in 2009. Post-landfall interaction with the mountainous terrain of the Cordillera Central caused Co-May to weaken into a severe tropical storm as it tracked northeast. The system made a second landfall in Candon, Ilocos Sur, at 05:10 PHT on July 25 (21:10 UTC, July 24). Co-May continued to weaken as it moved over the Babuyan Channel and was downgraded to a tropical depression as it passed through the Ryukyu Islands. On July 27, all monitoring agencies re-upgraded Co-May to a tropical storm as it tracked near Okinawa. The storm then turned westward towards China, where it made another landfall on Zhujiajian Island, Zhejiang on July 29 and in Fengxian District, Shanghai on July 30. It weakened into a remnant low over land on July 31 and its remnants passed through Yancheng and tracked across the Yellow Sea before dissipating over South Korea on August 3. ==Preparations==

Philippines In anticipation of Co-May (known locally as Emong), PAGASA began issuing Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals. Signal #1 was initially hoisted over Ilocos Norte, the northwestern portion of La Union, and the western portion of Pangasinan due to the system's proximity to northern Luzon. As the system rapidly intensified into a severe tropical storm, PAGASA subsequently raised Signal #3 over the entire provinces of Abra, Apayao, Ilocos Norte, Kalinga and Mountain Province. This signal also covered the central portion of Pangasinan, the extreme northern portion of Zambales, the northern and western portions of Cagayan, western portion of Benguet, as well as the remaining areas of the provinces that were placed in Signal #4. Signal #2 was later hoisted over the entire provinces of Babuyan Islands, Batanes, Ifugao, as well as the northern portion of Tarlac and Zambales, northern and western portions of Isabela, northwestern portion of Nueva Ecija and Quirino, and the western and central portions of Nueva Vizcaya. This signal also covered the remaining areas already placed under Signal #3. Meanwhile, Signal #1 was raised over the northern portion of Bataan, northern and central portions of Aurora, western and central portions of Pampanga and the remaining localities of each province that were previously placed under Signal #2. Classes in Metro Manila and in some areas in Luzon and Western Visayas were suspended from July 24 and 25 due to Co-May and the enhanced southwest monsoon. Around 70 domestic and international flights were cancelled as Co-May nears Northern Luzon and the persistent heavy rain brought by the southwest monsoon. When Co-May was upgraded into a typhoon by the PAGASA at 11:00 PHT (03:00 UTC), a Signal #4 warning was issued over the northern portion of Pangasinan, the northern and central portions of La Union, and the southwestern portion of Ilocos Sur. All the storm signal warnings were later discontinued on July 26. ==Impact==

Philippines Co-May generated strong winds and floods in parts of the Philippines, resulting in extensive damage in Alaminos, Pangasinan and Naval Station Ernesto Ogbinar in San Fernando, La Union. Five people were rescued from floods in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. Flooding also blocked a highway in Bauang, La Union. A widespread power outage occurred in Baguio and nearby areas in Benguet at around 02:00 PHT on July 25 (18:00 UTC on July 24) as Co-May battered the Cordillera Central mountain range. Many provinces in Luzon and Visayas were placed under a state of calamity due to the severe damages caused by Co-May, including the effects of the southwest monsoon. Approximately 283,000 people were evacuated from coastal and low-lying areas as Co-May made its first landfall. Damage by Co-May in China was estimated at about 300 million yuan (US$). == Retirement ==

Due to its destructive impact in the Philippines, the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee has retired the name Co-May, along with seven others, from the rotating storm name lists during its 58th Session, and it will never be used to name another storm in the Western Pacific despite its first usage. Its replacement name will be announced in 2027. On March 19, 2026, PAGASA retired the name Emong from its rotating naming lists on account of the contributing damage with Tropical Storm Wipha and due to the damage and loss of life it caused. It will never be used again as a typhoon name within the PAR. It was replaced with Elias, a character in Jose Rizal's novel Noli Me Tángere for the 2029 season. ==See also==