Authorities across East and Southeast Asia are on high alert as Super Typhoon Ragasa, the strongest storm in the world this year, charges towards southern China, Taiwan, the Philippines and Hong Kong. With winds reaching 215 kilometres per hour and gusts up to 265 kph, the storm has already forced mass evacuations, grounded flights and shuttered schools.Shenzhen officials announced late Sunday that around 400,000 people would be relocated from low-lying and coastal areas, as the sprawling city braces for severe flooding and storm surges. “The city plans to relocate and resettle approximately 400,000 people, including those residing in temporary shelters, low-lying areas, and coastal regions,” the emergency management bureau said.Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s flagship airline, confirmed it expects to cancel more than 500 flights from Tuesday evening as the typhoon nears, with operations halted until Thursday daytime. Other carriers, including Qantas, have also warned of severe disruption.
Philippines and Taiwan brace for impact
In the Philippines, tens of thousands were evacuated on Monday as Ragasa, known locally as “Nando,” battered northern Luzon with torrential rain and destructive winds. Authorities warned of “life-threatening storm surge” exceeding three metres in Cagayan, Batanes and Ilocos provinces. Power outages hit Calayan island and Apayao province, while schools and offices were shut in 29 provinces, including Metro Manila.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended government work, while disaster officials said more than 10,000 people had already sought refuge in evacuation centres. “Homes and property can be rebuilt, but lives lost can never be replaced,” the Department of the Interior and Local Government said.Taiwan has also ordered closures in southern counties and evacuated nearly 300 residents in Hualien County, with warnings that the storm’s outer bands could trigger landslides and flooding in mountainous regions. Ferry services were halted, and authorities said a land typhoon warning would be issued as Ragasa skirts the island’s east.
Hong Kong and southern China step up defences
Hong Kong is bracing for gale to storm-force winds on Wednesday, with officials stacking sandbags and installing flood barriers in vulnerable coastal areas. The Education Bureau suspended schools for two days, while hospitals introduced emergency protocols to ensure services remain operational. The Hong Kong Observatory cautioned that conditions could resemble those during 2018’s devastating Typhoon Mangkhut.In nearby Macao, police urged residents of low-lying areas to prepare for evacuation. On the mainland, Guangdong province has suspended schools, offices and transport services in multiple cities, including Jiangmen, Zhuhai and Zhongshan. Authorities urged residents to stockpile food and water, reinforce doors and windows, and prepare for repeated landfalls as the storm moves across the coast.Climate crisis behind intensifying stormsScientists say Ragasa’s rapid intensification is part of a trend of stronger, more destructive storms fuelled by warming oceans. The Philippines, which faces an average of 20 typhoons each year, remains one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations. Hong Kong, meanwhile, recorded its wettest August since records began in 1884, underlining the growing volatility of extreme weather.
