NEWS FROM MORECAST
Super Typhoon Ragasa Rips Through Philippine Islands and Taiwan, Currently Lashing Hong Kong
Super Typhoon Ragasa (aka Nando in the Philippines) quickly intensified earlier this week over the western Pacific. By early Monday, it became the strongest cyclone of 2025 anywhere in the world with winds up to 270 kph (168 mph). Ragasa raked northern Luzon and and the adjacent Babuyan Islands in the Philippines that day. Numerous trees and powerlines were downed, plunging nearly a million residents into darkness. Waves up to 3 m (10 feet) were observed along the coast of Cagayan.
Eastern Taiwan was spared the worst of the destructive winds as the typhoon passed well to the south. Unfortunately, very heavy rains did fall in the outer bands. These torrential rains breached the dam holding the Matai’an Creek Barrier Lake, sending floodwaters racing into downstream towns (see video above). At least 14 deaths are blamed on the flash flood with more than a hundred missing.
The typhoon has weakened only slightly crossing the South China Sea. Landfall will occur later today along the coast of Guangdong province in southern China. Although it’s passing south of Hong Kong, the city is still seeing high winds with a Signal 10 wind warning in effect, the highest level. Major surge flooding is also occurring (see video above). Evacuation orders forced more than 750,000 residents of South China out of their homes.
