Super Typhoon Ragasa has slammed into the northern Philippines, unleashing destructive winds and torrential rain that left damage across coastal communities, before charting a course toward southern China where authorities have ordered the evacuation of more than 400,000 residents.
The storm made landfall on Calayan Island in the Babuyan archipelago at about 3:00 pm local time (0700 GMT), with sustained winds reaching 215 km/h and gusts of up to 295 km/h.
On the island, roofs were torn from buildings and trees uprooted. Herbert Singun, a local information officer, described the destruction after part of a school roof collapsed near an evacuation centre. “Can you see those coconut trees swaying in the distance?… There were eight of them before. Now only four are still standing. That goes to show how strong this typhoon is,” he said.
In preparation for the storm, over 10,000 people were evacuated across the Philippines. Classes and government offices were suspended in Manila and nearly 30 other provinces, as authorities warned of “severe flooding and landslides” in northern Luzon.
Meanwhile, in Shenzhen, China’s tech hub, authorities have begun relocating about 400,000 residents from vulnerable areas. Several cities in Guangdong province announced school closures, work suspensions, and halted public transportation services. Flight operations were also disrupted, with Cathay Pacific cancelling more than 500 flights in and out of Hong Kong.
In Taiwan, meteorologists warned of “extremely torrential rain,” particularly in eastern regions, as Ragasa’s outer bands brushed the island.
Experts say the increasing intensity of tropical cyclones is linked to climate change, which is fuelling stronger winds, heavier rainfall, and more devastating storm surges across Asia’s typhoon belt.
As Ragasa continues its path toward the Chinese mainland, governments across the region remain on high alert for further destruction.
AFP
