Philippine Typhoon Signals 1–5: What Each Level Actually Means

What signals 1 to 5 actually mean in wind speed

Straight answer: PAGASA's Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals run 1 to 5 by expected wind speed, and the higher the number the less time you have left to prepare. Under the 2022 revision:

• Signal No. 1 — winds of 39–61 km/h expected within 36 hours. Minor, but this is your cue to start moving.
• Signal No. 2 — 62–88 km/h within 24 hours. Light structures, signage and trees begin to suffer.
• Signal No. 3 — 89–117 km/h within 18 hours. Significant damage, travel disrupted, wider class suspensions.
• Signal No. 4 — 118–184 km/h within 12 hours. Severe damage; do not go outside.
• Signal No. 5 — 185 km/h and above within 12 hours. Extremely dangerous; stay inside a sturdy building.

Three things newcomers consistently get wrong:

1. Signals are issued per area, not nationally. Check the number raised over your own province or city rather than the headline maximum. One storm routinely means Signal 2 in Cebu, Signal 1 in Manila and Signal 4 somewhere in the north.
2. The signal describes what is expected, not what is happening. Signal 1 means wind may arrive in 36 hours — which is precisely the window for the supermarket, the fuel station and the ATM, not a reason to relax.
3. Signals are raised and lowered as the track and intensity change, often several times a day. Checking once and concluding is the most common mistake made here.

For the full readiness checklist see typhoon preparedness in the Philippines.

Three separate warning systems, not one

Straight answer: wind signals only describe wind. Whether you flood depends on the colour-coded rainfall warning, and coastal areas have a separate storm surge warning. Classes can be suspended under Signal 1 purely because of rain.

• Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) — measures wind. The table above.
• Rainfall Warning — colour-coded: yellow (be aware), orange (flooding threatening in low-lying areas, prepare to evacuate), red (serious flooding, act now). In Metro Manila, what actually strands people is usually the rainfall warning rather than the wind signal. Orange and red warnings typically trigger class suspensions, subject to the announcement in force.
• Storm Surge Warning — for coastal and estuarine areas. Historically the heaviest loss of life in Philippine typhoons has come from surge, not wind.

Also worth separating: the signal number is not the storm's category. PAGASA classifies the cyclone itself as tropical depression, tropical storm, severe tropical storm, typhoon or super typhoon; the signal describes how hard your area is expected to be hit. A super typhoon passing at a distance may still leave you under Signal 1.

And one naming quirk: once a cyclone enters the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) it receives a local name, so the same storm carries both an international and a Philippine name. They are not two storms.

For flood-specific preparation see preparing for the rainy season and floods.

Which signal suspends classes: Executive Order No. 66

Straight answer: under Executive Order No. 66 (2012), Signal No. 1 automatically suspends preschool; Signal No. 2 adds elementary and secondary; Signal No. 3 and above covers everything up to tertiary and graduate level, and government office work may be suspended too. That is the automatic layer — local governments can add to it.

• Signal No. 1 — preschool classes automatically suspended in the affected area
• Signal No. 2 — preschool, elementary and secondary
• Signal No. 3 and above — preschool through tertiary and graduate school, with government office work potentially suspended as well

Two triggers operate independently of the wind signal: an orange or red rainfall warning, and a local government declaration. A mayor can suspend classes based on actual flooding, blocked roads or evacuation centres in use, even at Signal 1.

The local term for a suspension is "walang pasok" — Tagalog for "no going in." You will hear it constantly in news, on social media and from neighbours, and it covers both school and work closures.

Where to check, in order of reliability:

1. PAGASA official bulletins — the only authoritative source for signals and rainfall warnings
2. Your city or provincial government's official website and verified social accounts
3. DepEd and your own school's announcements
4. Mainstream media live blogs

Do not rely on screenshots forwarded in group chats. Every season produces a flood of expired, misattributed and outright fabricated suspension notices — most commonly last year's graphic recirculated. If you cannot trace it to an official source, it does not count. See how class suspensions are decided and how make-up classes work afterwards.

Does work stop too, and do you still get paid?

Straight answer: a class suspension is not a work suspension. Government offices may stop at Signal No. 3, but private employers decide for themselves, and pay follows the general no-work-no-pay principle unless company policy or a collective agreement is more generous.

This is the point foreigners find most confusing and the one that most often causes friction with employers. Breaking it down:

• Public schools and government offices — automatic rules apply under EO 66 and whatever is announced at the time
• Private companies — the employer decides whether to close or move to remote work. Many follow the local government declaration, but that is a policy choice rather than a legal obligation
• Wages — the Department of Labor and Employment issues advisories on pay during weather disturbances, and the baseline principle is no work, no pay: time not worked because of a suspension need not be paid unless company policy, the employment contract or a collective bargaining agreement provides otherwise. The applicable rule is whatever DOLE currently advises, read together with your contract.

Three practical steps:

1. Ask about the severe weather policy when you join: who declares it, by what time, whether remote work applies, whether suspended hours are paid, and whether leave can be offset. Best if it is written into the handbook.
2. Do not simply decide for yourself that it is too dangerous to travel. Get the confirmation in writing or in the company channel first, so it is not recorded as an unexcused absence.
3. If you are the employer, fix the trigger in advance — for example, "if the city declares walang pasok, everyone works remotely." A written rule causes far fewer disputes than an ad hoc call each time.

Related pay rules are covered in special versus regular holiday pay.

Typhoon preparation: three days without power or water

Straight answer: the usual consequence of a typhoon is not structural damage but loss of power and water, sometimes for days. Stock three days and you cover most scenarios.

• Drinking water — bottled or in refill containers, per person per day, plus a separate store for washing and cooking. Delivery queues get long around a storm; see how water delivery works
• Power banks and torches — with the power out, your phone is the only information channel you have
• Food needing no refrigeration — tinned goods, bread, dry noodles; anything edible without cooking is the most useful category
• Cash in small denominations — card terminals and ATMs fail during outages, and this is the item people skip most often. Small notes beat large ones when nobody can make change
• Medication, baby supplies and pet food
• Documents in a waterproof pouch plus cloud scans — passport, ACR I-Card, visa pages, insurance policy
• Fill the fuel tank and move the car somewhere that does not flood

If you live in a high-rise condo: an outage stops the lifts and the water pumps, so upper floors often lose water at the same time. Filling the bath and every available container before landfall is standard local practice. Also clear the balcony completely — plant pots, drying racks and chairs become projectiles at height.

If you own a generator: never run it indoors or on an enclosed balcony. Carbon monoxide poisoning is a genuine cause of death during storm season — see choosing and running a home generator. For the fridge question afterwards, see what is still safe to eat after an outage.

During the storm: five rules

Straight answer: stay inside a sturdy structure, keep away from glass, never wade, do not go out when it suddenly goes quiet, and keep your phone charged and on official channels.

• Keep away from windows and glass doors. The most common injuries come from flying glass and debris rather than from buildings failing. Tape or board the glass if you can, and do not sleep next to a window.
• Do not walk through floodwater. Manhole covers get lifted by the current, and the water carries electrical and contamination risks. If you cannot see what is underneath, do not step in — the same applies to driving; see what to do when a car floods.
• The eye brings sudden calm, and it is not over. The wind reverses direction for the second half and is often stronger. That false ending is one of the deadliest windows each season, because people go outside to inspect the damage.
• Keep the phone charged and the channels open. Follow PAGASA, your local government and the NDRRMC. In an emergency call 911, the national emergency number.
• Know where the nearest evacuation centre is — usually a school, gym or barangay hall. If you are in a low-lying area or near a river and are told to evacuate, go immediately: when the notice is issued the roads are usually still passable; once the water rises they are not.

For the illnesses that spike afterwards see common rainy-season illnesses and prevention.

A cancelled flight: rebook first, refund later

Straight answer: cancellations are routine in storm season and airlines usually waive the change fee — but seats are finite, so rebook before you think about refunds.

• Monitor airline notices actively rather than waiting until you reach the airport, and make sure the mobile number and email on the booking are ones you actually use
• Act the moment a cancellation is announced. Everyone on that flight is competing for the same replacement seats; two hours of delay can cost you two days
• Handle connecting segments together — the later legs are affected too, and rebooking only the first creates a broken itinerary
• If the schedule is tight, consider flying out a day early. Far easier than rebooking after the fact
• Airport closures and port suspensions are announced separately. For inter-island travel, watch the maritime notices as well — ferries usually stop before flights do

Two things that catch travellers out: accommodation and tour cancellation policies are independent of the airline and must be handled separately; and travel insurance varies enormously in how it treats weather events, so check before you buy whether delay, cancellation and extra accommodation are actually covered. See cancellations and refunds in typhoon season and claiming for typhoon damage.

One hard immigration point: if being stranded pushes your visa past its validity, file the extension or report to Immigration promptly. Bad weather does not automatically excuse an overstay. Dealing with it in advance always costs less than explaining it later.

Stranded by the storm while the visa runs out at the same time? → Chinese-speaking concierge and emergency support

After it passes: power, water and claims

Straight answer: the wind stopping is not the all-clear. What needs attention next is electricity, water and documenting your losses.

1. Check before restoring power. If water got in, do not simply switch the main back on — soaked outlets and wiring create shock and fire risk. Have the building or an electrician check first. For nuisance trips see what to do when the breaker trips.
2. Water safety. Supply can run cloudy or contaminated after restoration; use bottled water for drinking and brushing teeth until the utility confirms normal service.
3. Food. Refrigerated items past a certain number of hours without power should be discarded. When in doubt, throw it out.
4. Document losses. Photograph and film the water line, the damaged items and the date before you clean up — that record is the only basis you will have for an insurance claim or a discussion with your landlord.
5. Check road conditions before travelling. Landslides, damaged bridges and standing water can persist for days, especially in mountain and island areas.
6. Watch for mosquito-borne illness. The one to two weeks after floodwater recedes is peak dengue risk; empty standing water around the property.

Finally, the framing that helps most: an average of roughly twenty tropical cyclones enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility each year, clustered in the wet season but possible year-round (figures per PAGASA). So this is not a question of an unlucky year. Build the four things once — supply list, cloud backups of documents, your employer's weather policy, and insurance cover you have actually read — and every subsequent storm becomes execution rather than improvisation.

This is general guidance. Signal definitions, suspension rules and official announcements are governed by what PAGASA, DepEd, DOLE and your local government publish at the time.