Typhoon Ragasa Nears Hong Kong China on Alert
Typhoon Ragasa Nears Southern China, Hong Kong on High Alert
HONG KONG – Typhoon Ragasa, packing powerful winds of up to 220 km/h (137 mph), is moving closer to southern China’s Guangdong province, prompting Hong Kong to brace for its impact, the city’s observatory said on Tuesday.
Authorities are preparing to raise the typhoon signal to No. 8 by mid-afternoon, a level that typically shuts down most businesses and public transport. Nearly 700 flights have already been disrupted. The observatory said it will decide later Tuesday or early Wednesday whether stronger warnings are needed.
The storm swept across the northern Philippines on Monday, where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered disaster agencies to remain on full alert and mobilised all government resources.
In Hong Kong, officials warned of hurricane-force winds by Wednesday, accompanied by heavy rain, storm surges, and rising sea levels. Forecasters cautioned that water levels could climb two metres along coastal areas, with some locations facing surges of up to five metres—similar to Typhoon Hato in 2017 and Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, both of which caused widespread destruction.
Precautionary measures are underway across the city. Authorities distributed sandbags in low-lying areas, while residents rushed to stock up on essentials, leading to empty shelves and soaring food prices. Long queues formed at supermarkets, with milk and meat selling out and vegetable costs tripling.
Despite the looming storm, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange will remain open, after a policy shift last year to continue trading regardless of weather conditions.
Chinese officials have already activated flood control measures in several southern provinces and warned of days of heavy rain. In nearby Macau, schools have closed and evacuation plans are being put in place. Shenzhen has prepared more than 800 emergency shelters to accommodate residents if needed.
Taiwan has also been hit, evacuating over 7,600 people from mountainous areas. Travel disruptions persisted for a second day, with hundreds of flights cancelled and some rail services suspended.
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