Hong Kong typhoon season: Super Typhoon Ragasa continues its destructive march through East Asia. Satellite images show it barreling toward southern China after wreaking havoc in Taiwan and the Philippines. Authorities are raising alarms over storm surges, widespread flight cancellations, and impending landfall.
Where is Ragasa now — and what do the maps show?
Satellite and tropical-cyclone trackers place Ragasa moving west-north-west through the northern South China Sea after battering northern Luzon in the Philippines and eastern Taiwan.
Joint forecasts from meteorological agencies and independent trackers show a compact but intense cyclone with a well-defined eye and very high sustained winds, and project a track toward the Guangdong coast and the Pearl River Delta.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and regional agencies have published cone-of-uncertainty maps showing the storm centre approaching southern China.
Super Typhoon Ragasa: Flight disruptions
Over 700 flights have already been cancelled throughout the region. Airlines including Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Hong Kong Airlines, and many others are suspending operations as precautionary measures. Authorities warn passengers to expect further delays and cancellations.
Super Typhoon Ragasa: Which airlines and routes are affected?
- Cathay Pacific has cancelled more than 500 flights to and from Hong Kong International Airport, beginning from 6:00 pm on 23 September. The airline plans to gradually resume operations during daytime hours by Thursday.
- HK Express, the budget arm of Cathay Pacific, has also axed about 100 flights in the same period.
- Emirates has suspended all services between Dubai and Hong Kong as well as Dubai and Shenzhen from 23 to 25 September.
- Other carriers like British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Qantas, Air India, Japanese Airlines, Gulf Air, Bangkok Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and KLM have all cancelled flights to/from Hong Kong or nearby cities, or are anticipating disruptions.
Super Typhoon Ragasa: How long will flight disruption last?
- Hong Kong International Airport has effectively shut down passenger flight operations from 6:00 pm on 23 September until at least 6:00 am on 25 September, representing a 36-hour closure.
- Limited cargo flights may operate during this period, depending on evolving weather conditions.
Super Typhoon Ragasa: When and where is landfall expected?
Meteorological services and news agencies forecast landfall on China’s southern coast between midday and late Wednesdaywith Guangdong province (areas between Yangjiang and Zhanjiang, and the western Pearl River Delta) the most likely impact zone.
Reuters reports that the storm may maintain very high wind speeds until close to coastfall. Local forecasts indicate the closest approach to Hong Kong will be within roughly 100 km of the city.
Maps and trackers — where to watch the Super Typhoon Ragasa in real time
For live tracking and authoritative maps consult:
Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and local meteorological agencies (China Meteorological Administration, Hong Kong Observatory, Taiwan CWB, PAGASA in the Philippines).
Independent live-map sites such as Zoom.Earth and The Watchers also display near-real-time satellite imagery and forecast cones
Evacuations due to Super Typhoon Ragasa — how many people have been moved to safety?
Evacuation figures vary between official and media reports as authorities rushed to relocate residents ahead of landfall:
Chinese state media and some outlets report hundreds of thousands evacuated in Guangdong — official provincial notices cited 371,000 in some cities and localities, while other news agencies put the number higher, at more than 770,000 evacuated, and certain press accounts cite up to 1.9 million people relocated across the province.
In the Philippines, relief agencies report tens of thousands displaced and many placed in evacuation centres after Ragasa crossed northern islands; the AHA Centre and local authorities have issued flash updates describing emergency sheltering and damage assessments.
Taiwan also carried out targeted evacuations in flood-prone Hualien County; however, reports indicate evacuation and warning systems were overwhelmed in certain areas, adding to the humanitarian strain.
Death toll and casualties from Super Typhoon Ragasa — what is confirmed so far?
Confirmed fatalities and missing persons are mounting in the storm’s wake:
Taiwan: Authorities reported 14 deaths in eastern Hualien County after torrential rains caused a barrier lake to burst, sending a wall of water into settlements; dozens are reported missing. Rescue teams have been deployed amid widespread destruction.
Philippines: Early reports indicate at least three to four deaths and thousands affected — including tens of thousands displaced or seeking shelter — in provinces struck as Ragasa crossed the archipelago.
Hong Kong / southern China: At the time of writing there are multiple injuries reported and infrastructure damage; authoritative tallies of deaths in Hong Kong or Guangdong were not final and are being compiled by local authorities. Journalists on the ground report injuries and scenes of flooding and wind damage.
Storm surge, flooding and landslide risk — where is the danger greatest?
Meteorologists warn of three principal hazards:
Storm surge: Coastal Guangdong, the Pearl River estuary, Macau and low-lying Hong Kong waterfronts face a significant surge risk; some forecasts compare potential sea rises with severe past events (for example, Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018). Authorities have urged coastal evacuations.
Torrential rainfall and flash flooding: Taiwan’s eastern counties — notably Hualien — have already demonstrated the catastrophic effects of heavy rain: overflowing dams and barrier lakes, landslides and sudden floods. Similar flash-flood risks now threaten steep coastal and riverine zones in southern China and the Philippines.
Landslides: Saturated slopes in mountainous regions may fail; Taiwan’s experience demonstrates the extreme hazard to communities below landslide-prone catchments.