Latest reports suggest that Southern Chinese cities braced Tuesday for the arrival of Super Typhoon Ragasa, one of the most powerful storms in years, shutting down schools, businesses, and airports as the system barreled across the South China Sea after devastating parts of the Philippines.
The Hong Kong Observatory reported Ragasa packing maximum sustained winds of 137 mph (220 kph) with gusts even higher as it tracked west-northwest at 14 mph (22 kph). Forecasters at China’s National Meteorological Center predicted landfall between Zhuhai and Zhanjiang in Guangdong province by Wednesday evening.
In Hong Kong, authorities prepared to raise Storm Signal No. 8, the city’s third-highest alert, warning of hurricane-force winds across a wide radius. Winds of 84 mph (135 kph) were already recorded near the ground at 75 miles from the storm’s center. Officials said storm surges could lift coastal waters up to 5 meters (16.4 feet), levels not seen since Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, which caused nearly $600 million in damage.
Authorities urged residents to stay indoors and fortify homes. In flood-prone areas, families stacked sandbags at doors, taped windows to prevent shattering, and stocked up on food and water. Hundreds of flights were canceled in Hong Kong and nearby Macao, while Shenzhen airport announced it would suspend all flights from Tuesday night. Macao authorities ordered evacuations in low-lying areas, closed bridges, and warned Ragasa could pass within 62 miles (100 km) of the casino hub on Wednesday morning.
Across Guangdong, cities including Shenzhen, Foshan, and Zhuhai canceled classes and gradually suspended business and transport services. In Hainan province, authorities shuttered schools and halted ferry services.
Analysts warned the storm could disrupt trade flows through the Pearl River Delta, one of the world’s busiest manufacturing and shipping hubs.
In the Philippines, Ragasa’s earlier landfall brought torrential rains, flooding, and deadly landslides, displacing over 17,500 people. At least three were killed, and five remain missing.
Among the dead was a 74-year-old man trapped inside a vehicle buried by mud and rocks in Benguet province. In northern Cagayan province, another victim was confirmed dead in Calayan, where the typhoon made its first landfall.
The storm forced the closure of schools and government offices across 29 northern provinces and paralysed domestic travel, grounding flights and prohibiting ferries and fishing vessels from leaving port. Local officials warned of further flooding as swollen rivers threatened to overflow.
Taiwan was also struck as the typhoon passed south of the island, injuring at least six people and forcing the evacuation of more than 7,000 residents. Over 8,000 households experienced power outages, as reported.
Experts said Ragasa could rival the damage from Typhoon Hato in 2017 and Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, which inflicted billions of dollars in losses. Beyond immediate destruction, the storm is expected to strain supply chains in southern China and Southeast Asia, with major ports and airports temporarily shut.
“Super typhoons of this scale not only threaten lives but also disrupt global trade networks concentrated in East Asia,” said meteorologist Li Chen of Peking University. “The Pearl River Delta is one of the most critical economic zones in the world. Any extended disruption will be felt internationally.”
Story was adapted from Arise News.
