Typhoon Ragasa weakens after hitting China, leaving widespread damage across several countries

Typhoon Ragasa, also known as Nando in the Philippines, made landfall in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province, China, and began weakening after causing significant damage in several countries across East and Southeast Asia. As the storm lost strength, the aftermath of destruction was still clearly visible, particularly in Hong Kong, where recovery efforts were underway.

In Hong Kong, the storm hit with full force, triggering flooding and high waves that crashed onto the shore, causing widespread damage, including broken glass doors at Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel and flooding in the lobby. More than 100 people were injured, and over 1,000 trees were uprooted across the island. The Hong Kong government issued the highest level T10 warning, suspending flights and closing schools for two days.

In Taiwan, the storm caused severe loss of life, with authorities revising the death toll to 14 and 33 people still missing. Heavy rainfall led to overflowing mountain reservoir lakes in Hualien County, resulting in massive flooding in Guangfu City.

In China’s Guangdong Province, where the storm made landfall, over 2.16 million people were evacuated by 4 pm on Wednesday. The storm, which brought winds of up to 145 km/h near its centre, caused widespread power outages and severe damage to homes and infrastructure.

The storm’s intensity prompted authorities to implement the highest level of emergency measures. Although the typhoon weakened as it moved further inland, it still posed a risk to Guangxi Autonomous Region, where the government had suspended high-speed trains along the coastline and instructed all fishing vessels to return to shore for safety.

The Chinese National Meteorological Centre (NMC) reported that Typhoon Ragasa has now weakened to a tropical storm and is moving westward at a speed of 20-25 km/h, with its intensity gradually decreasing.

Recovery efforts continue across the affected regions, with local governments preparing for any further impact as the storm moves inland.