Super typhoon Ragasa sweeps through the Philippines, many countries in the region issue warnings
Super Typhoon Ragasa, with its terrifying winds, barreled into the northern Philippines on September 22, forcing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to put the entire national disaster response apparatus on full alert. The storm also triggered a series of warnings across East and Southeast Asia.
Ragasa has slightly intensified as it passes over Babuyan Island, heading towards a possible landfall on Calayan Island, according to the Philippine National Weather Service. The storm has sustained winds of 215 km/h, gusts of up to 295 km/h, and is likely to cause storm surges of more than 3 meters.
Videos from Cagayan province showed strong winds and heavy rains knocking down trees and causing huge waves. Authorities have advised people to stay away from coastal areas and riverbanks.
As a safety precaution, the government suspended work and classes in the capital Manila and large parts of Luzon island due to the impact of the outer belt of the typhoon. Dozens of domestic flights were canceled and ferry services were suspended.
Although Ragasa did not make a direct landfall, it still had widespread impacts. Taiwan issued warnings for land and sea, evacuated more than 900 people and canceled 146 domestic flights.
China also activated flood prevention measures in southern provinces.
The situation was particularly tense in Hong Kong when the government announced that it would close the airport for 36 hours from the evening of September 23. People rushed to stock up on necessities from the morning of September 22, causing long queues at supermarkets. Many items such as milk were sold out, while the price of vegetables in the markets tripled.
Macau and Zhuhai are also preparing evacuation plans and school closures in response to the storm.