Typhoon Ragasa News: Maximum wind speeds near the center of the super typhoon reach Category 17.
Super Typhoon RAGASA has been classified as a Violent Typhoon by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) – the highest classification for tropical cyclones in the Northwest Pacific (with 10-minute sustained winds) – reaching 110 kts (~205 km/h), slightly stronger than YAGI in 2024 (105 kts).
At 10:00 AM on September 22nd, the center of Super Typhoon Ragasa was located at approximately 19.4 degrees North latitude and 122.4 degrees East longitude, about 140km northeast of Luzon Island (Philippines). The strongest winds near the center of the super typhoon reached Category 17 (202-221 km/h), with gusts exceeding Category 17. It was moving west-northwest at a speed of approximately 20 km/h.
According to Mr. Mai Van Khiem, Director of the National Center for Meteorological and Hydrological Forecasting, the storm is predicted to enter the East Sea tonight (September 22nd), becoming the 9th storm of the year, moving at a speed of about 20 km/hour and maintaining a maximum intensity of level 16-17, with gusts exceeding level 17 on September 22nd-23rd.
"With such intensity, Super Typhoon Ragasa is equivalent to or surpasses the strongest intensity of Typhoon Yagi (Typhoon No. 3) in 2024 and is among the strongest super typhoons ever to appear in the South China Sea," Mr. Mai Van Khiem emphasized.
As of 7:00 AM on September 24th, the typhoon's center was located at approximately 20.8 degrees North latitude and 113.8 degrees East longitude, in the northern part of the South China Sea, about 370km east of the Leizhou Peninsula (China). Its intensity was at level 16-17, with gusts exceeding level 17.
From September 24-26, the Gulf of Tonkin and the coastal areas of Northern and North Central Vietnam are likely to experience strong winds of force 9 to 12, with winds near the storm's center reaching force 12 to 14, gusting to force 15 to 16, accompanied by widespread heavy rain.
