Landfall in the Philippines
Thousands of people have been evacuated from northern Philippines as Super Typhoon Ragasa made landfall on Panuitan Island in Cagayan province at 15:00 local time Monday. The storm, with wind gusts of up to 230 km/h (143 mph), has been described by regional authorities as potentially catastrophic. The Philippine weather bureau warned of life-threatening storm surges exceeding 3 meters, as well as widespread flooding and landslides.
Impact on Local Communities
Schools and government offices across multiple regions, including Manila, have been shut. The remote Batanes and Babuyan islands, home to about 20,000 residents, were directly hit. Many inhabitants live in poverty, raising concerns about resilience to damage. The storm arrives as the country struggles with weeks of flooding from an unusually intense monsoon season, fueling public protests over poor flood control infrastructure.
Regional Effects
Although Ragasa is not expected to make direct landfall in Taiwan, authorities closed forest trails, suspended ferry services, and evacuated nearly 300 people from Hualien County as precautionary measures. Heavy rains are forecast for Taiwan’s east coast. In southern China, Guangdong province has urged residents to prepare for what it called a large-scale disaster, with impacts expected as early as Tuesday. Shenzhen authorities announced plans to evacuate 400,000 people.
Hong Kong and Beyond
Hong Kong officials warned that weather conditions will deteriorate rapidly. The education bureau is reviewing school operations, while airlines announced major cancellations. Cathay Pacific will cancel 500 flights, and Hong Kong Airlines will suspend all departures from the city. The storm is forecast to continue moving west, reaching areas near southern China and Vietnam later in the week.
