Hong Kong is bracing for severe damage as Super Typhoon Ragasa nears as the storm is swirling off the northeast coast of the Philippines with destructive, tree-snapping winds. The Hong Kong Observatory reports storm is packing maximum sustained winds of 230 kilometers (143 miles) per hour, matching a Category 4 hurricane. Authorities in the Philippines have warned of life-threatening conditions.
Ragasa threatens to be the costliest cyclone to impact the city since Mangkhut in 2018, which led to HK$2.9 billion ($373 million) in insurance claims.
Airport facing disruptions, 500 flights likely to be cancenled
Hong Kong’s international airport is facing major disruptions due to the storm, with Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. expected to cancel more than 500 flights.
Schools will be suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the Hong Kong exchange said it will be “closely monitoring” the typhoon — posing a potential test for the city’s push to keep markets open during severe weather.
More than 10,000 people across the northern Philippines island of Luzon have been evacuated, and government work and classes were suspended in the capital Manila and several dozen provinces as of Monday. Parts of the country will get more than 200 millimeters (8 inches) of rainfall, threatening widespread flooding, damage to roads and infrastructure
Once Ragasa passes the Philippines, it will track across the South China Sea and is expected to pass to the south of Hong Kong. Gale force winds will start affecting the city on Wednesday, and could reach hurricane force strength offshore, according to the Hong Kong Observatory.
On Monday, Hong Kong was experiencing the literal calm before the storm, with blue skies and hot temperatures caused by the downward-moving air on the outer rims of the nearing typhoon. Still, local grid operators have already activated their extreme weather response plans, including pruning trees that could topple over power lines.
Ragasa will be the 11th tropical cyclone to affect the city this year, breaking the record number of storm warning signals issued between January and September since 1946, according to the observatory. The typhoon will likely disrupt a two-day aviation industry conference, scheduled to begin Wednesday, that typically brings thousands of delegates to Hong Kong.
