Super Typhoon Ragasa was located approximately 130 kilometers (81 miles) southeast of Hong Kong at 3 a.m. local time and was projected to approach within 100 kilometers of the city.
Hong Kong has raised Typhoon Ragasa to its highest alert level as the storm approaches the coastline, bringing with it destructive winds and heavy rainfall, potentially making it the most damaging storm in seven years.
According to the Hong Kong Observatory, Super Typhoon Ragasa was situated about 130 kilometers (81 miles) southeast of Hong Kong at 3 a.m. local time and was anticipated to come within 100 kilometers of the city later. The system is expected to pass to the south of the financial center. The agency has issued Hurricane Signal No. 10, the highest level on the local scale. Officials indicated that this warning will remain active for an extended period.
Additionally, the agency has issued an Amber Rainstorm Warning Signal, indicating that heavy rainfall has occurred or is expected to occur across Hong Kong, surpassing 30 millimeters (1 inch) within an hour, and is likely to persist.
Alongside the winds and heavy rain, water levels along the coast of Hong Kong may rise by as much as 2 meters starting around 6 a.m., with even higher levels possible in other regions, including Tolo Harbour. Ragasa could potentially be the most destructive storm to impact the area since Mangkhut in 2018.
The agency has advised, “Do not go outside.” It urged individuals outdoors to seek shelter immediately and remain there until the threat has passed.
Ragasa’s maximum winds have decreased to 120 kilometers per hour, down from 205 kph earlier, categorizing it as a Category 3 system on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale.
The super typhoon has already led to significant flight disruptions and the suspension of school classes and business operations throughout southern China after it passed near the northern Philippines.
The super typhoon has compelled some conferences and forums scheduled, including a meeting on fixed income and currencies, to transition to online formats, while several delegates have withdrawn from an aviation conference. Loan bankers have also hurried to ensure that paperwork is physically signed to facilitate ongoing deals.
In 2018, Mangkhut inflicted destructive winds and unprecedented storm surges upon Hong Kong, with the meteorological agency estimating total economic damages, including insurance claims, at HK$4.6 billion ($592 million). Forecasters indicate that a similar storm surge may occur from Ragasa.
“The only factor that can halt this storm is land,” stated the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center in a previous advisory.
Passenger flights to and from Hong Kong will be suspended for 36 hours starting at 6 p.m. local time. Nearly 50% of the 1,098 passenger and cargo flights scheduled to depart and arrive at the airport have already been canceled, according to data gathered.
Airports in Shenzhen and Macau will also be closed for an indefinite duration, and all rail services in China’s Guangdong province will be halted. Cities such as Zhuhai, Jiangmen, and Foshan — recognized as the country’s “aluminum capital” — have also suspended classes and work.
In Taiwan, thousands of households experienced power outages, and offices and schools were closed in several southern cities, while nearly 25,000 individuals were evacuated from the Philippines’ main Luzon island. Ragasa brushed past the northern region of the archipelago and is currently swirling in the South China Sea.
The storm is anticipated to weaken as it moves toward Vietnam after grazing southern China, and the Southeast Asian country has mobilized over 300,000 military personnel, 8,000 vehicles, and six aircraft in preparation for the cyclone.
Ragasa is projected to make landfall along China’s southern coast near Yangjiang.
Subsequently, the remnants of the storm are expected to advance into northern Vietnam, bringing heavy rains and the potential for flooding and landslides to Hanoi and Laos.
