On Monday, Super Typhoon Ragasa made landfall on Panuitan Island in northern Cagayan province. Its final fury was unleashed with sustained winds greater than 267 kilometers per hour (165 miles per hour). Equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. The storm is currently moving towards Hong Kong, Macau, and Guangdong Province in mainland China. Severe weather warnings have been cut across the whole region in response to the storm’s impending threat.
As early as Monday morning, PAGASA, the Philippine meteorological agency, raised the highest local tropical cyclone wind signal No. 5. This alert was issued in particular for the northern Babuyan Islands. This rarest of all classifications is a testament both to the storm’s intensity and its potential for catastrophic, widespread impacts. Tens of millions more are in peril as Ragasa continues to blast westward at roughly 23 km/h (14 mph). As of Wednesday morning ET, the storm was located over 1,000 kilometers east-southeast of Hong Kong.
Rapid Intensification and Warnings
Super Typhoon Ragasa’s rapid intensification was due in part to an eyewall replacement cycle. Usually these processes go on to intensify a storm significantly, and Ragasa is a perfect case of this phenomenon. With maximum winds expected to reach over 200 kph, officials are on high alert. As the storm nears Hong Kong, gusts could be as high as 250 kph.
PAGASA has warned of a “high risk of life-threatening storm surges,” urging residents in vulnerable areas to take necessary precautions. Expect potential flooding and landslide from Luzon north. Portions of the impacted area could see rainfall totals surpassing 400 millimeters (15 inches).
“Homes and property can be rebuilt, but lives lost can never be replaced,” said a spokesperson from the Philippines Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Severe weather is a great concern too, with heavy rain and damaging wind gusts over 315 kph (195 mph) coming from Ragasa’s outer bands. These dangerous meteorological conditions will severely impact large swaths of the Philippines, even without a direct landfall. Over 10,000 people have already been evacuated in northern and central Luzon ahead of the storm’s arrival.
Preparations in Hong Kong and China
With Super Typhoon Ragasa bearing down on the region, Hong Kong has done a lot to protect the safety of the public. The provincial government has closed all schools from Tuesday through Wednesday. Making this decision helps to ensure the safety of students and staff during severe weather.
And just yesterday, Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific Airways announced an end to all passenger flights. Tuesday night’s cancellation impacts both flights leaving from and flying into the city. Such steps are extremely important and timely as the region prepares for a potential disaster.
In mainland China, officials are scrambling to meet the coming storm head on. In doing so, they are moving some 400,000 residents out of low-lying and coastal areas of Shenzhen. Given the immediate risk that may be posed to human life, authorities are aware of the urgency of the situation and are moving quickly to take action.
Impact on Coastal Areas
Coastal communities in the northern Philippines’ Batanes and Babuyan Islands are preparing for destructive waves. These waves might even exceed three meters (10 feet), representing a catastrophic risk of inundation tsunami along the West Coast. The storm’s outer bands will continue to bring dangerous conditions to eastern Taiwan and southern China, and as far as Vietnam.
Though the public is still jittery, officials are staying vigilant and keeping a close watch on Ragasa’s course. PAGASA has indicated that “local winds may be slightly stronger/enhanced in coastal and upland/mountainous areas exposed to winds,” while areas sheltered from the prevailing wind direction may experience less severe conditions.
