In brief
Super Typhoon Ragasa, deemed the strongest storm of the year, is about to hit southern China, particularly Guangdong province. With schools and businesses closing and a warning issued for significant wind and flooding, authorities have relocated approximately 370,000 residents to safety. Hong Kong has activated typhoon alerts as preparations escalate, including the hoarding of supplies at local supermarkets due to anticipated disruptions in daily life. The storm's effects are also expected to impact northern Vietnam soon.
China has evacuated hundreds of thousands of people and ordered at least 10 cities to close schools and some businesses as the strongest storm of the year bears down on its southern coast. Hong Kong has upgraded its typhoon warning to eight—just two levels below the maximum—ahead of the arrival of Super Typhoon Ragasa.The storm is expected to make landfall in China's Guangdong province on Wednesday, where some 370,000 people have been evacuated so far, as authorities warn of a 'catastrophic' situation. Ragasa has been dubbed the 'King of Storms' by China's meteorological agency and is anticipated to move towards northern Vietnam in the coming days, potentially affecting millions.On Tuesday, supermarket shelves in Hong Kong were wiped empty of fresh bread, vegetables, meat and instant noodles as residents prepared to hunker down. Hong Kong International Airport said it expected significant disruption to flight operations from 18:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on Tuesday until the next day. More than 500 Cathay Pacific flights are expected to be cancelled, while Hong Kong Airlines said it would stop all departures from the city.In cities across southern China, shop owners piled sandbags in front of their stores in preparation for the storm's arrival, with residents in low-lying areas next to the sea front particularly concerned about tidal surges. Many have also taped up the windows of their homes and businesses, hoping to prevent their destruction.Super typhoon Ragasa—equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane—packed wind gusts of up to 285km/h (177mph) at its highest point on Monday, and has triggered warnings for floods, storm surges and landslides across the region this week. Ragasa poses a substantial threat to Hong Kong, drawing comparisons to other destructive typhoons, leading to fears of severe flooding and damage.As the storm approaches, it's still uncertain how much climate change has influenced Ragasa, but trends indicate a warming world will likely increase the intensity of tropical storms. While Taiwan remained largely unharmed, the typhoon caused injuries and flight cancellations, reinforcing the storm's serious implications for affected areas.
