The next day, Vongfong entered a period of rapid intensification, becoming a typhoon and attaining 10-minute maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h (93 mph).

Persistent land interaction weakened Vongfong, leading to its degeneration into a tropical depression over the Luzon Strait on May 17.

In early May of 2020, an area of atmospheric convection began to persist approximately 545 km (339 mi) southeast of Palau, situated within an environment generally conducive for the formation of a tropical cyclone.

[4] Satellite data suggested the presence of broad cyclonic rotation within the disturbance, which was designated Invest 95W by the JTWC.

[5] The circulation associated with the storms persisted over subsequent days,[6] and at 00:00 UTC on May 10, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) determined that a tropical depression had developed east of Mindanao, tracking slowly west.

[9][10] On the same day, a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert (TCFA) was issued by the JTWC on the system, noting early signs of rainband development.

[14]Vongfong's cloud tops were rapidly cooling and consolidating upon its upgrade to a tropical storm, indicative of a strengthening cyclone.

[20] The eye became increasingly pronounced and contracted to less than 10 km (6.2 mi) in diameter as the storm's evolution became suggestive of rapid intensification.

[26][27] The storm's structure degraded due to land interaction as it traversed Samar, causing Vongfong's eye to dissipate.

[30] The prolonged interaction with land caused Vongfong to weaken, though the storm maintained a compact circulation amid otherwise favorable atmospheric conditions.

[39] Heavy rainfall warnings were triggered by the storm's approach for Caraga Region, Bukidnon and Davao del Norte provinces on May 11.

[40] The following day, the PAGASA urged residents to begin preparing for the storm, particularly in the Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions and parts of Luzon.

[43] Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal 3 was ultimately issued for parts of Bicol and Eastern Visayas on May 14 as Vongfong neared landfall.

[59] Jipapad suffered most extensively of the towns in Eastern Samar, with floods there reaching the second stories of homes and washing out roads, isolating the municipality.

[69] Two people were killed in San Policarpo, where Vongfong initially made landfall, and in Oras, Eastern Samar.

Ben Evardone, the governor of Eastern Samar, called the storm "Yolanda Jr." in reference to the scale of damage brought to the province.