Hong Kong: Hong Kong has announced the closure of schools, some businesses, and major flight cancellations as Super Typhoon Ragasa, the year’s most powerful storm, approaches the city on the evening of September 23.
Authorities and residents are bracing for a severe impact, with supermarkets stripped of essentials like bread and fresh produce, while shop owners fortified their premises with sandbags.
The storm, which has already battered the Philippines, where it is called Super Typhoon Nando, killed at least one person in a landslide on northern Luzon Island and displaced hundreds of families.
More than 10,000 people were evacuated before it made landfall on September 22 afternoon, with schools and government offices shut across several provinces, including the capital Manila.
Ragasa is currently classified as a super typhoon, equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, with wind gusts reaching 285 km/h (177 mph).
Hong Kong officials warned that millions could be affected, and Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan described it as a ‘serious threat,’ comparing Typhoon Ragasa to Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, which left 200 people injured, sunk ships, caused HK$4.6 billion ($592 million) in damages, and Typhoon Hato in 2017, which triggered major flooding and injured more than 100.
Hong Kong International Airport said that it expects ‘significant disruption’ to operations from 18:00 local time on September 23 until 24, with more than 500 Cathay Pacific flights cancelled and Hong Kong Airlines halting all departures.
Neighboring cities in Guangdong province, China, have also suspended schools, workplaces, and public transport services. Shenzhen alone evacuated 400,000 residents in advance of Typhoon Ragasa. Authorities across Guangdong have warned residents to prepare for a potentially ‘catastrophic’ situation as the storm moves inland toward China and northern Vietnam.
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