 Around 06 : 00 UTC , Bopha passed 100 km ( 65 mi ) south of Babeldaob island in Palau while at its initial peak . Shortly thereafter it made its closest approach the nation , tracking roughly 55 km ( 35 mi ) south of Angaur island . After clearing Palau , Bopha ultimately intensified further before making a devastating landfall on Mindanao in the Philippines . The JTWC estimated its peak intensity at 280 km / h ( 175 mph ) , a Category 5 on the SSHWS . The storm resulted in up to 1 @,@ 901 fatalities in the country and tremendous infrastructural damage . Land interaction substantially weakened the system by the time it emerged over the Sulu Sea . Turning north , Bopha briefly weakened to a tropical storm on December 6 before undergoing another period of rapid intensification . After reaching its tertiary peak on December 7 , hostile wind shear caused dramatic weakening . In a 24 ‑ hour span , the typhoon 's central pressure rose by 55 mbar ( hPa ; 1 @.@ 62 inHg ) while its winds fell from 170 km / h ( 105 mph ) to 75 km / h ( 45 mph ) . Bopha soon degraded to a tropical depression and dissipated off the northwestern coast of Luzon early on December 9 . 
