Typhoon Ragasa: What we know about one of Asia’s strongest storms in years

Hong Kong’s observatory said Ragasa had maximum sustained winds near the centre of about 195 kph (120 mph) and skirted around 100 kilometres (62 miles) to the south of the city. Hong Kong categorises cyclones with sustained winds of 185 kph or stronger as super typhoons to make residents extra vigilant about intense storms.

The observatory said Ragasa is the strongest tropical cyclone in the northwestern Pacific and South China Sea region so far this year. Preliminary analysis showed it also ranks as the second-strongest in the South China Sea region since the observatory’s record-keeping began in 1950, tying with typhoons Saola in 2023 and Yagi in 2024.

Here’s all you need to know about the Super Typhoon Ragasa:

1. 01

   What time did the typhoon make landfall?

   According to China's state broadcaster CCTV, the typhoon made landfall along the coast of Hailing Island in Yangjiang city at about 5 pm, packing maximum winds near the centre of 144 kph (89 mph). Violent winds battered trees and buildings, with torrential rain lowering visibility, video from Xinhua showed.

2. 02

   How many people were affected?

   Super Typhoon Ragasa killed at least 14 people in Taiwan and 10 in the northern Philippines, including seven fishermen who drowned after their boat was battered by huge waves and fierce winds, flipping over on Monday off Santa Ana town in northern Cagayan province. Five other fishermen remain missing, provincial officials said.

   Nearly 700,000 people were affected by the storm, of whom 25,000 fled to government emergency shelters.

   The ‘King of Storms’ displaced nearly 2 million people in China and led to nearly 1.9 million being evacuated in southern Guangdong province. Schools, factories, and transportation services were shut down in about a dozen cities.

   In the financial hub of Hong Kong, at least 80 people were injured as the typhoon’s massive winds knocked down hundreds of trees. At least 700 flights were cancelled.

3. 03

   Scale of destruction caused by Typhoon Ragasa

   The fierce winds brought by Ragasa woke Hong Kong residents in the early hours, with many going online to describe scenes such as a kitchen ventilation fan being blown down and a crane swaying.

   One widely shared clip showed a “towering cloud canopy” sweeping overhead — a stark visual of the typhoon’s size and force. Though the centre of the storm had begun drifting away from the city, hurricane-force winds continued to batter Hong Kong.

   Schools and businesses were shut, train services suspended, and temporary shelters filled with hundreds of residents.

   Another viral video captured a hotel lobby in Hong Kong being overwhelmed as waves smashed through its front doors, flooding the interior and sweeping away men before staff scrambled to clean up the debris. A separate clip showed a dramatic shelf cloud looming over Lamma Island, its dark canopy stretching across the horizon.

4. 04

   Where did Super Typhoon Ragasa form?

   The super typhoon began over the Western Pacific, forming over Micronesia earlier this month. Ragasa rolled over unusually warm ocean waters, gathering strength. By Monday, it had been labelled a super typhoon, packing maximum sustained winds of 265 kph (165 mph).

   On Wednesday afternoon, Hong Kong weather authorities downgraded Ragasa from a super typhoon to a severe typhoon.

5. 05

   What is the situation now?

   The much weaker Tropical Storm Ragasa pushed west along the southern Chinese coast towards Vietnam on Thursday, after flooding streets and homes in the economic hub of Guangdong province and causing deaths in Taiwan and the Philippines.

   Vietnam’s Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính ordered government ministries and local authorities to protect infrastructure such as dams and hospitals, secure fishing vessels and coastal assets, and prepare evacuation and search-and-rescue operations. Some flights were cancelled or rescheduled, and workers trimmed trees to avoid wind hazards in the northern part of the country.

   For Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, activities halted earlier in the week were gradually returning to normal. Flights in Hong Kong resumed after some 1,000 had been disrupted, affecting about 140,000 passengers.