Super Typhoon Ragasa triggers mass evacuations in Philippines, Taiwan

Thousands of people were evacuated from northern Philippines villages, and schools and offices were closed on Monday (September 22) in the archipelago and neighbouring Taiwan as one of the strongest typhoons this year threatened to cause flooding and landslides on its way to southeastern China.

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Super typhoon Ragasa

Super Typhoon Ragasa had sustained winds of 215 kmph (134 mph) and gusts of up to 265 kmph (165 mph) and was centred east of the island town of Calayan off Cagayan province, Philippine forecasters said. It was heading west at 20 kmph (12 mph) and may pass close or make landfall over Cagayan's Babuyan islands by midday or early afternoon on Monday.

The Philippines' weather agency warned of coastal inundation, saying "there is a high risk of life-threatening storm surge with peak heights exceeding 3 metres (nearly 10 feet) within the next 24 hours over the low-lying or exposed coastal localities" of the northern provinces of Cagayan, Batanes, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.

Power was knocked out on Calayan Island and in the entire northern mountain province of Apayao, west of Cagayan, disaster-response officials said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or further damage from Ragasa, which is locally called Nando.

Schools shut, flights suspended

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended government work and classes at all levels on Monday in the capital and 29 provinces in the main northern Luzon region.

More than 8,200 people were evacuated to safety in Cagayan, while 1,220 fled to emergency shelters in Apayao, which is prone to flash floods and landslides. Domestic flights were suspended in northern provinces being lashed by the typhoon, and fishing boats and inter-island ferries were prohibited from leaving ports due to very rough seas.

Ragasa, the 14th weather disturbance to batter the Philippines this year, comes while authorities and both chambers of Congress investigate a corruption scandal involving alleged kickbacks that resulted in substandard or non-existent flood control projects.

Mass evacuations ordered

According to a CNN report, tens of millions of people are at risk from the storm, which is expected to either make landfall in or pass close to Batanes and the Babuyan Islands, north of the Philippines’ Luzon, later on Monday, before moving toward Hong Kong, Macau, and China’s Guangdong Province.

“Life-threatening conditions persist over the northern portion of northern Luzon as ‘Nando’ approaches the Babuyan Islands,” the Philippines' meteorological agency PAGASA warned.

Authorities said more than 10,000 people have been evacuated across northern and central Luzon ahead of the typhoon, according to the Philippines Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Flood alerts have also been reportedly issued for low-lying parts of Luzon, with Ragasa’s winds intensifying torrential monsoon rains and raising the risk of severe flooding.

In 2024, the Philippines endured four typhoons in less than two weeks, which brought widespread destruction through heavy rain, storm surges, and landslides.

Also Read: Super Typhoon Saola: Hong Kong, parts of southern China grind to near standstill; flights cancelled

Taiwan, Hong Kong to be hit

The typhoon is forecast to remain in the South China Sea at least into Wednesday (September 24) while passing south of Taiwan and Hong Kong before landfall on the Chinese mainland.

After undergoing rapid intensification over the Philippine Sea, Ragasa, known in the Philippines as Nando, was a large and powerful super typhoon, packing sustained winds of over 267 kph (165 mph), the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane.

Taiwan's southern Taitung and Pingtung counties ordered closures in some coastal and mountainous areas, as well as on the outlying Orchid and Green islands.

The typhoon is expected to sweep south of Hong Kong and Macao. Some Hong Kong residents started stocking up on extra food. More than double the usual number of sandbags have been provided to flood-prone areas across Hong Kong, the government said. Macao police urged people living in low-lying areas to prepare for possible evacuation.

Landfall in China?

Ragasa is expected to bring torrential rains and heavy winds to China's mainland coastal areas starting Tuesday (September 22).

The cities of Jiangmen, Yangjiang, Zhongshan and Zhuhai in southern Guangdong province ordered the suspension of schools, offices, factories and means of transportation.

The typhoon could make landfall in Guangdong more than once, China's weather agency said. Authorities urged residents to stockpile emergency supplies, reinforce doors and windows and evacuate underground areas.

(With agency inputs)