Hong Kong: Hong Kong entered emergency mode on Monday as Super Typhoon Ragasa, the most powerful tropical cyclone recorded globally in 2025, churned toward the city with ferocious winds and the threat of massive storm surges. Authorities raised a high-level warning signal, shuttering schools, suspending businesses, and grounding flights as residents braced for impact.
The Hong Kong Observatory issued a No. 8 storm signal, urging citizens to stay indoors and avoid coastal areas as Ragasa approached with sustained winds near 220 kilometers per hour. Streets that are normally packed with commuters fell silent as transport links slowed or stopped altogether. Shops, offices, and government services also closed early, underscoring the seriousness of the threat.
In anticipation of the storm, supermarkets and convenience stores were stripped of essentials, with long queues snaking through aisles for water, bread, and instant noodles. Many households reinforced windows with tape, erected sandbag barriers, and secured loose items on balconies. Building management teams worked late into the night, fastening glass panels and preparing for the possibility of flying debris.
Meteorologists cautioned that Ragasa’s storm surge could raise sea levels by two meters across much of Hong Kong’s coastline, with some low-lying districts at risk of waves four to five meters high. Such conditions could trigger serious flooding, particularly in areas already prone to tidal overflow. Authorities advised residents in vulnerable neighborhoods to move to safer ground and prepared emergency shelters across the territory.
The typhoon wreaked havoc on regional air travel, forcing the cancellation of more than 700 flights in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan combined. The city’s normally bustling Chek Lap Kok Airport turned into a waiting hall of stranded passengers, as airlines scrambled to rearrange schedules. Ferry services were also suspended, while bus and rail networks operated on reduced capacity until further notice.
In southern China, cities including Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Guangzhou declared their own red alerts, ordering the suspension of classes, office work, and construction activities. Emergency shelters were readied, and coastal defenses strengthened. Macau also imposed a city-wide shutdown, mirroring Hong Kong’s safety-first approach.
With Ragasa expected to make its closest approach late Monday night into Tuesday, officials warned residents to prepare for a long and dangerous night. Meteorologists stressed that the typhoon’s size and intensity could produce severe weather long after the eye passes, bringing extended rainfall, dangerous winds, and continued flooding threats.