Hong Kong shut down on Tuesday as Super Typhoon Ragasa, the world’s most powerful tropical cyclone this year, approached the region. Authorities urged residents to stay indoors while most passenger flights were suspended until Thursday. Panic buying emptied supermarket shelves as people stocked up on essentials, and homes and businesses reinforced windows with tape to reduce damage from shattered glass.
Ragasa, with hurricane-force winds of up to 220 km/h (137 mph), posed a severe threat to Guangdong province in southern China and was expected to make landfall between midday and late Wednesday. Hong Kong issued a Typhoon Signal 8, its third-highest warning, leading to the closure of most businesses and transport services. More than 700 flights were disrupted, including in Macau and Taiwan.
Guangdong authorities have evacuated over 770,000 residents, with more than one million expected to relocate. Coastal water levels in Hong Kong could rise about two meters (six feet), with some areas facing surges of four to five meters (12–15 feet), similar to the impacts of Typhoons Hato in 2017 and Mangkhut in 2018. Sandbags were distributed, and residents prepared homes for flooding.
At peak intensity, Ragasa’s sustained winds reached 260 km/h (162 mph), classifying it as a Category 5 storm, though it has since weakened slightly to Category 4. Chinese authorities activated flood control measures, suspending work, transport, and schools across more than 11 cities in Guangdong, including Shenzhen and Zhuhai. Emergency shelters and tree-clearing operations were deployed to minimize risks.
Macau’s casinos were ordered to close by 5 p.m. local time, and Taiwan reported almost 60 cm (24 inches) of rainfall, 25 injuries, and 273 flight cancellations as disruptions continued. The Hong Kong Observatory warned that hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall could cause significant storm surges in densely populated areas, urging residents to take all necessary precautions.