Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Super Typhoon Ragasa, the world's most powerful tropical cyclone in 2025, lashed Hong Kong with hurricane-force winds and torrential rain on Wednesday, while heavy downpours in Taiwan resulted in the deaths of 14 people.
In Hong Kong, huge waves crashed over areas of the Asian financial hub's eastern and southern shoreline, submerging some roads alongside residential properties.
A barrier lake in Taiwan's eastern Hualien County overflowed, sending a wall of water into a town, as heavy rains from Typhoon Ragasa battered the island, the Taiwan Fire Department said on Wednesday. Taiwan has been hit since Monday by the outer rim of Ragasa, which has brought torrential rains to the island.
It is expected to maintain super typhoon intensity as it moves toward the coast of China's Guangdong province, home to more than 125 million people, where it is expected to make landfall from midday (0400 GMT).
Ragasa’s winds, reaching 200 kph (124 mph), prompted Hong Kong's authorities to issue their highest alert, Typhoon Signal 10, leading to the closure of businesses and transportation services.
Powerful waves have inundated roads along the island’s eastern and southern coasts, flooding areas near upscale residential neighbourhoods. In Tseung Kwan O, the waterfront promenade is submerged, while outlying islands like Lantau, home to the international airport, have seen beaches and vegetation overwhelmed by floodwaters.
At the Fullerton Hotel, social media videos captured seawater surging through glass doors, flooding the lobby. The Hong Kong Observatory has warned of sea levels rising to 4 meters (13 feet) around noon (0400 GMT), a level comparable to the destructive Typhoons Hato in 2017 and Mangkhut in 2018, which caused billions in damages.
Residents, fearing prolonged disruptions, rushed to supermarkets, emptying shelves and forming long queues. Many secured windows with tape to reduce risks from shattering glass. According to the South China Morning Post, a woman and her five-year-old son were swept into the sea while observing the storm; both are now in intensive care. The government has opened 49 shelters, providing refuge for 727 people.
Hong Kong's Stock Exchange will remain open. It changed its policy late last year to continue trading whatever the weather.
Broader impact of Ragasa
In the gambling hub of Macau next to Hong Kong, authorities also issued the No. 10 warning signal early on Wednesday. Casinos have been forced to shutter their gambling areas since Tuesday evening and are likely to remain closed on Wednesday. Guests are not able to leave their property if they are staying there.
One user on China's Xiaohongshu app showed videos of doors being sealed at a casino resort to protect against the typhoon.
In Guangdong, authorities have evacuated over 770,000 people, state broadcaster CCTV said. Schools and transport services including the high-speed rail have been shuttered, while flights have been cancelled at the region's busiest airports in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
China's marine authority issued its highest 'red' wave warning for the first time this year, forecasting storm surges of up to 2.8 metres (9 feet)in parts of Guangdong province.
Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan and Dongguan, the largest cities in Ragasa's path, are home to around 50 million people.
The emergency management ministry dispatched tens of thousands of tents, folding beds, emergency lighting equipment and other rescue supplies on Tuesday, Chinese state media reported.
