China evacuates 400,000 as Super Typhoon Ragasa approaches after slamming Philippines
Super Typhoon Ragasa hit the northern Philippines on Monday with winds of up to 215 kilometres per hour, tearing off roofs and toppling trees as tens of thousands sought shelter. The storm is now moving toward southern China, where authorities in Shenzhen are preparing to evacuate 400,000 people ahead of its arrival.
Issued on: 22/09/2025 -
By: FRANCE 24
The Chinese city of Shenzhen began preparing to evacuate 400,000 people as Super Typhoon Ragasa continued on its collision course with southern China.
The typhoon made landfall on the Philippines' Calayan Island, part of the sparsely populated Babuyan chain, at 3pm local time (0700 GMT), according to the Philippine weather service.
As of 5pm (0900 GMT), maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometres per hour (134mph) were reported at the storm's centre, with gusts reaching as high as 295kph, the national weather service said.
"I woke up because of the strong wind. It was hitting the windows, and it sounded like a machine that was switched on," said Tirso Tugagao, a resident of Aparri, a coastal town in northern Cagayan province.
On Calayan Island, at the storm's centre, information officer Herbert Singun told AFP that parts of a school's roof had been ripped off and landed on an evacuation centre about 30 metres away, leading to one minor injury.
"Can you see those coconut trees swaying in the distance?" he asked over video chat.
"There were eight of them before. Now only four are still standing. That goes to show how strong this typhoon is."
Just over 10,000 Filipinos were evacuated across the country, with schools and government offices closed Monday in the Manila region and across 29 other provinces.
A much larger operation will take place in China's Shenzhen, where authorities said late Sunday they planned to move hundreds of thousands of people from coastal and low-lying regions.
Multiple other cities in Guangdong province announced classes and work would be cancelled, and public transportation suspended because of the typhoon.
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific airlines said it expected to cancel more than 500 flights as Ragasa threatened the financial hub.
A spokeswoman for the airline said passenger flights in and out of Hong Kong International Airport would be halted from 6pm Tuesday, "resuming during daytime hours on Thursday".
'Extremely torrential'
In Taiwan, the state weather service predicted a chance of "extremely torrential rain" in the country's east.
"Its storm radius is quite large, about 320 [kilometres]. Although the typhoon's centre is still some distance away, its wide, strong wind field and outer circulation are already affecting parts of Taiwan."
James Wu, a local fire department officer, told AFP that evacuations were ongoing in mountainous areas near Pingtung.
"What worries us more is that the damage could be similar to what happened during Typhoon Koinu two years ago," he said, describing a storm that saw utility poles collapse and sheet-metal roofs sent flying into the air.
Philippine government weather specialist John Grender Almario said Sunday that "severe flooding and landslides" could be expected in the northern areas of the main island of Luzon.
The threat of flooding from Ragasa comes just a day after thousands of Filipinos took to the streets to protest a growing corruption scandal involving flood-control projects that were shabbily constructed or never completed.
Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful as the world warms due to the effects of human-driven climate change.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Philippines evacuates thousands ahead of approaching super typhoon
Authorities in the Philippines have moved thousands of residents from vulnerable areas as the country prepares for super typhoon Ragasa, which officials warn could have devastating effects, according to the BBC.
The storm, packing gusts of up to 230km/h (143mph), is predicted to strike the sparsely populated northern islands on September 22 before tracking westward towards southern China. The Philippine weather service has issued alerts about life-threatening storm surges, with waves potentially exceeding three metres.
In response, schools and government offices across much of the nation, including the capital Manila, have been closed. Officials have also warned of extensive flooding, landslides, and possible damage to homes and infrastructure. The northern Batanes and Babuyan islands, where Ragasa is expected to make landfall, are home to around 20,000 people, many living in poverty.
Though Taiwan is not in the storm’s direct path, heavy rainfall is anticipated and in some reports from across the island is already falling along its eastern and northern coast. Local authorities have evacuated nearly 300 residents in Hualien County, closed forested areas and trails, and suspended some ferry services.
In China, officials in Guangdong province are urging residents to prepare for severe disruption from strong winds and heavy rain, expected from September 23. Hong Kong authorities also anticipate rapidly worsening weather, with schools under review for potential closures.
Locally known as Nando, Ragasa strikes the Philippines while the country is still grappling with widespread flooding from an unusually severe monsoon season. The repeated impact of storms like Ragasa underscores how mismanagement and the diversion of flood control funds leave communities vulnerable to disasters that could be prevented, raising pressing questions about accountability and the prioritisation of public safety.
