It made landfall in the Philippine province of Baggao, Cagayan late on September 14, as a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon, and subsequently impacted Hong Kong and southern China.

The storm caused a total of $3.77 billion (2018 US) in damage across multiple nations, along with at least 134 fatalities: 127 in the Philippines,[4][5] six in mainland China,[6] and one in Taiwan.

[7] On September 5, 2018, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) began monitoring a tropical disturbance near the International Date Line.

[12][9] A well-defined 18 km (11 mi) eye became evident on satellite imagery as the typhoon approached the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam.

The JTWC analyzed Mangkhut as a Category 2-equivalent typhoon with one-minute sustained winds of 165 km/h (103 mph) as it tracked near Rota, around 12:00 UTC on September 10.

A second bout of rapid intensification took place as the storm consolidated significantly; a well-defined 39 km (24 mi) eye became established during this time.

[17][9] The JTWC noted additional strengthening on September 12, and assessed Mangkhut to have reached its peak intensity at 18:00 UTC, with one-minute sustained winds of 285 km/h (175 mph).

[24] Tropical cyclone warning signals were hoisted by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration as early as September 13.

[31] On September 15, citizens living in Tai O and Lei Yue Mun were evacuated from these low-lying areas that have historically been very prone to storm surge.

[33] On September 16, as Mangkhut maintained its course towards the Pearl River Estuary, the Hong Kong Observatory issued the Gale or Storm Signal No.

[34] After dawn, as local winds rapidly strengthened, Hong Kong Observatory issued the Increasing Gale or Storm Signal No.

[47] In Guangdong's provincial capital Guangzhou, schools, public transportation, and businesses were closed across the entire city for the first time since 1978.

[53] A tornado was reported in Marikina, eastern Metro Manila, at around 5:30 p.m. Philippine Standard Time on September 14, injuring two people.

[54] Over 105,000 families evacuated from their homes,[55] and several airports in northern Luzon closed and airlines cancelled their flights until September 16.

[56] On September 22, police confirmed that the typhoon had caused at least 127 fatalities;[4][5] eighty deaths occurred in the collapse of a small mine in the town of Itogon, Benguet, where dozens of landslides buried homes.

[4] Francis Tolentino, a political adviser of President Rodrigo Duterte, announced that an estimated 5.7 million people nationwide had been affected by the storm.

[67] Luzon suffered extensive losses which more than doubled the expected worst-case scenario outlined by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.

As of October 5, the NDRRMC estimated that Mangkhut caused PHP33.9 billion (US$626.8 million) in damages in the Philippines, with assessments continuing.

[73][74] Serious flooding was reported in many seaside residential areas, including Heng Fa Chuen, Tseung Kwan O South, Shek O, Lei Yue Mun, villages in Tuen Mun and the fishing village of Tai O,[75] due to a powerful storm surge of up to 3.38 metres (11.1 ft).

[78][79] Due to the substantial damage and disruption caused by the typhoon, the Education Bureau announced that all schools would be closed on September 17 and 18.

[80] The day after the storm, massive crowds filled the territory's MTR system, which operated at a reduced level of service on some lines as some sections of the tracks had been blocked by debris.

[89][90] In Guangzhou, markets, schools and public transport were closed or limited in the wake of the storm on Monday, September 17, and residents were requested to minimize non-essential travel.