Put Your S. E. Asia Travel Plans On Hold

[PeterRS]

Super Typhoon Ragasa is getting ever closer to The Philippines. Classified the same as a Category 5 hurricane in North America, much of the northern parts of South East Asia are taking major precautions. In The Philippines, the typhoon is expected to hit near the northern tip but schools and administrative offices have aso been closed today in Manila. Hundreds of families have been evacuated from the expected path of the storm, both in The Philippines and southern Taiwan.

In Taiwan, damage is expected to be less unless the typhoon moves on to a more northerly track. Landfall there is presently expected near Pingtung to the south and east of the main southern city of Kaohsiung.

Hong Kong is also speeding up preparations. The weather is expected to deteriorate badly tomorrow with hurricane force winds on Wednesday. Reuters reports that Qantas Airways has announced Hong Kong airport is suspending all flights for 36 hours from 08:00 am on Tuesday 23 September until 08:00 pm on Wednesday 24. Stand by as that closure may be longer if Ragasa is slow moving. Hong Kong is very used to typhoons and experiences up to ten each year, including super typhoons once every five or so years. Ragasa is expected to be the worst super typhoon in several years.

Having lived in high rise apartments for almost 20 years in the city, super typhoons inevitably result in considerable swaying. The worst I remember was in the 1980s when a super typhoon sucked out the windows of a high rise apartment. All the furniture followed. Damage generally, though, is normally slight and massive drainage holding tanks under the northern part of Hong Kong island channel most of the flood water flowing down the hillside to the sea to the south.

Again assuming it remains on track, instead of dissipating onshore as it hits Guangdong Province, it may avoid most of Guangdong and head towards Vietnam.

[PeterRS]

The typhoon seems to be worse than expected and is now the most powerful storm anywhere this year with sustained winds of over 267 kph gusting to 315 kph (165 - 195 mph). Tens of milions are likely to be affected by the typhoon. Officials in the mega-city of Shenzen just across the border in China from Hong Kong are preparing to evacuate 400,000 people.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/22/asia/super-typhoon-ragasa-philippines-hong-kong-intl-hnk

[vinapu]

nice to be home, reading above I'm not complaining I got tiny bit soaked this morning 

[jimmie50]

Many years ago I was in Taipei, Taiwan during a typhoon.  That was the first time I had ever experienced such a powerful storm.  We had earthquakes in California, but SF Bay Area never had typhoons/hurricanes.  I do recall what you mentioned about the windows blowing out, flood waters rising, and furniture floating down the street.  Certainly would not care for a repeat of that.  

[daydreamer]

I was living in Hong Kong in September 1998, when Typhoon Mangkhut battered the city.  The storm did extensive damage to many of the tall buildings in Wan Chai and Hung Hom.  I remember seeing the Revenue Tower and Immigration Tower on Gloucester Road in Wan Chai, with about 100 plate glass windows shattered or blown out.  The South China Morning Post reported that personal tax documents and immigration papers littered the streets of Wan Chai, after being sucked out of the buildings.

My apartment was in the Mid Levels, and luckily was not damaged.

 

 

[Pete1111]

A friend on WeChat right now 

in southern China

says everything in Hong Kong is shut down in preparation.

[PeterRS]

50 minutes ago, Pete1111 said:

A friend on WeChat right now in southern China says everything in Hong Kong is shut down in preparation.

Hong Kong has experienced typhoons regularly since time immemorial. Fortunately it is now well prepared. In the past it occasionally suffered major damage as in the 1937 Great Typhoon which killed between 11,000 and 13,000. I was there during Typhoon Ellen in 1983 when this ship was blown off its mooring and landed on a beach. 

Photo AFP, HKGIS

3 hours ago, daydreamer said:

I was living in Hong Kong in September 1998, when Typhoon Mangkhut battered the city.  The storm did extensive damage to many of the tall buildings in Wan Chai and Hung Hom.  I remember seeing the Revenue Tower and Immigration Tower on Gloucester Road in Wan Chai, with about 100 plate glass windows shattered or blown out.

I was also in the city when that typhoon hit. Most of that damage occurred because the main winds hit first from the north. The south side, as you point out, is mostly apartments and many residents tape up their windows to ensure there is no major damage. The Revenue and Immigration Departments in North Wanchai clearly did not bother to do that! Now I wonder: was my file lost because I paid no tax that year LOL!

One problem with typhoons and other monsoon-related rains is landslides, of which Hong Kong has suffered many. The worst was in 1972 when part of the hillside on the north of the island in what is termed Mid-Levels gave way and demolished first a 6-storey building and then a 12-storey building.  67 were killed. If you pass by that area from the water, you can still see the gash in the hillside.