Super Typhoon Ragasa: Hong Kong smashed as 14 dead in Taiwan lake burst
Deadly Super Typhoon Ragasa has unleashed devastation across Hong Kong after killing 14 people in Taiwan, with southern China now bracing for impact.
Devastating winds and downpours have lashed Hong Kong as Super Typhoon Ragasa carves a destructive path through southern China, leaving a trail of devastation across Taiwan where at least 14 people have died following a catastrophic lake burst.
Hong Kong was pounded on Wednesday as the monster storm unleashed, toppling trees and submerging coastal communities under dangerous floodwaters.
Towering skyscrapers shuddered violently as hurricane-force winds tore through the densely populated territory.
In Taiwan, authorities confirmed that 124 residents remain missing in Hualien County following the breach of a barrier lake that sent deadly torrents flooding through the region during the typhoon’s passage, Reuters reports.
Weather authorities in Hong Kong tracked Ragasa’s closest approach to within 100 kilometres of the city on Wednesday morning, prompting the territory’s observatory to activate its most severe typhoon alert level during overnight hours.
“There will be overtopping waves over the shoreline, which will be particularly significant along the eastern and southern coasts,” the observatory said.
“Under the influence of significant storm surge, around two to three metres of rise in water level are expected over the coast of Hong Kong today.”
The super typhoon had already claimed two additional lives during its sweep through the northern Philippines.
Chinese emergency management officials warned that Ragasa was tracking towards Guangdong province’s coastline, with landfall anticipated somewhere between Zhuhai and Zhanjiang during Wednesday afternoon and evening hours.
Across mainland China’s southern regions, government officials have mandated the closure of commercial enterprises and educational institutions in no fewer than 10 major cities, disrupting daily life for millions of residents.
And for context, Super Typhoon Ragasa has reached peak sustained winds of 270 km/h, making it 2025’s strongest storm to date.
This would classify it as a Category 5 cyclone under Australia’s rating system, the most severe classification reserved for extremely destructive winds exceeding 200 km/h.
Neighbourhood flooded
Widespread inundation struck multiple Hong Kong districts, with dramatic footage shared across social media platforms and confirmed by the AFP news agency showing the scale of the destruction.
Dramatic video captured surging floodwaters overwhelming the popular Heng Fa Chuen residential complex, completely submerging its central courtyards and forcing residents to higher ground.
AFP journalists witnessed motorists navigating treacherous flood conditions in the area during early morning hours.
The storm’s ferocious winds were powerful enough to rip apart a pedestrian overpass, while a massive tree brought down by the gales completely blocked traffic on Hong Kong Island’s eastern corridor.
Hong Kong’s MTR railway network suspended all above-ground services, maintaining only limited underground operations as authorities prioritised public safety.
More than 730 Hong Kong residents sought emergency accommodation across 48 temporary evacuation centres established throughout the territory.
The city’s international airport severely curtailed operations, with officials stating that “only a limited number of cargo flights” would go ahead as scheduled, while hundreds of passenger services faced cancellation.
On Tuesday afternoon, a five-year-old child and his mother were swept into turbulent seas while observing the massive waves in Chai Wan district.
Both victims remained in critical condition following emergency hospitalisation, while the boy’s 40-year-old father, who heroically plunged into the water attempting a rescue, also required medical treatment.
Breathtaking ISS images show Ragasa’s fury
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim, currently conducting a mission aboard the International Space Station, documented Ragasa’s immense scale through a series of stunning orbital photographs.
“From orbit, the view is breathtaking, but on the ground, this storm brings real danger and hardship,” he wrote.
“Thoughts are with everyone in its path, and with the first responders and communities preparing to weather it.”
Timeline of what’s to come
Typhoon Ragasa, considered the most powerful storm system recorded globally this year, continues its relentless advance towards southern China following its devastating impact across the Philippines’ northern territories.
Meteorologists project the typhoon will strike Guangdong province during Wednesday’s daylight hours.
Guangdong authorities have successfully relocated over 370,000 residents from high-risk areas.
Educational institutions across Hong Kong and numerous Chinese cities have suspended operations indefinitely.
In Hong Kong, residents have stripped supermarket shelves bare while businesses frantically applied protective tape to windows in preparation for the approaching tempest.
Aviation disruptions are expected to affect hundreds of scheduled flights, including those to and from Australia.
Zhuhai city has implemented identical protective measures as communities brace for Ragasa’s full impact.
-With AFP
Originally published as Super Typhoon Ragasa: Hong Kong smashed as 14 dead in Taiwan lake burst
