This trend continued once the cyclone entered the South China Sea, initially as a severe tropical storm late on November 7.

In the Iloilo province, on the eastern portion of Panay Island, almost 40 villages were under water and nearby roads were impassable.

The first of two tropical cyclones to form in the basin during November 1988, Typhoon Skip originated from the winter-time monsoon trough dominated by easterly trade winds, a common signal of a La Nina event.

Satellite pictures at the time showed a well-defined center of circulation at the lower levels of the atmosphere and distinct curved banding features.

Based on satellite images, intensity estimates of 55 km/h (35 mph), the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) at 07:00 UTC.

That evening, following an increase in satellite intensity estimates,[1] both the JMA and JTWC upgraded the system into a tropical storm,[4][nb 2] the latter of which named it Skip.

[1] Skip, while taking the course of a typical "straight runner",[1] the storm made its closest approach to Yap, passing around 100 km (60 mi) to the south.

[4] The same day, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) also started to follow the storm and assigned it with the local name Yoning.

[7] Continuing westward,[1] the JTWC suggested that the typhoon attained winds equal to a Category 4 hurricane on the SSHWS at 00:00 UTC on November 6.

[1] Six hours later, the JMA reported that Skip reached its peak intensity, with winds of 145 km/h (90 mph) and a barometric pressure of 950 mbar (28 inHg).

[6] During the evening of November 7, Skip emerged into the South China Sea[1] as a typhoon and severe tropical storm, according to both the JTWC and JMA respectively.

[12] Select Military Airlift Command flights to Japan and the United States left early to avoid the core of the typhoon.

[17] Moreover, 14 of the 16 towns in Capiz province–located on Panay Island to the southeast of Manila–were flooded,[12] resulting in hundreds of families being evacuated to schools and churches.

[23] Seventeen homes were demolished,[16] 23 people were buried,[12] and ten bodies were recovered[16] on a landslide in Pasacao in the province of Camarines Sur.

[25] Unlike during Ruby, Manila avoided the inner core of Typhoon Skip,[14] though there were reports of waist-high water in some neighborhoods, forcing residents to use wooden planks and tires to navigate the floodwaters.

[26] However, the suburb of Pasig, already inundated by Typhoon Ruby a couple weeks prior, faced additional flooding, resulting in the deaths of seven children.

[27] A freighter, the Sea Runner, sank in port on Bohol Island due to strong winds and heavy waves from Skip.

[12] Nineteen crewmen fled in a life raft when the tanker Ethane ran aground off a small island 110 mi (175 km) south of Manila.

[21][31] Since many roads in the devastated area were impassable, officials were forced to ferry relief goods to stranded residents by small boats and military helicopters.