Typhoon hits Hong Kong and China after killing dozens in Taiwan and Philippines

One of the strongest typhoons in years has lifted waves taller than lampposts on to Hong Kong promenades and created rough seas on the southern Chinese coast after causing deadly destruction in Taiwan and the Philippines.

In Taiwan, 17 people died in a flooded town, and 10 deaths were reported in the Philippines.

Nearly 1.9 million people were relocated across the province of Guangdong, the southern Chinese economic powerhouse.

A weather station in Chuandao recorded maximum gusts of about 150mph at noon, a high in Jiangmen city since record-keeping began.

Huge waves battered the city of Zhuhai’s coastline and strong winds buffeted trees under intense rain. Fallen branches were scattered on the streets.

State broadcaster CCTV said Typhoon Ragasa made landfall along the coast of Hailing Island in Yangjiang at about 5pm local time, packing maximum winds near the centre of 89mph.

It is forecast to keep moving west, prompting the suspension of some train services in the Gunagxi region on Thursday.

Schools, factories and transportation services were initially suspended in about a dozen cities, but a few of them distant from the landfall location were preparing to resume work as winds weakened.

The fierce winds brought by Ragasa, once a super typhoon, woke Hong Kong residents in the early hours, and many went online to describe scenes such as a kitchen ventilation fan being blown down and a crane swaying.

Strong winds blew away parts of a pedestrian bridge’s roof and knocked down hundreds of trees across the city. A vessel crashed into the shore, shattering a row of glass railings along the waterfront.

Areas around some rivers and promenades were flooded, including cycling lanes and playgrounds. At several promenade restaurants, furniture was scattered chaotically by the winds.

Ninety injured people were treated at hospitals.

A video that showed waves of water crashing through the doors of a hotel and flooding its interiors went viral in the financial hub. Staff were seen cleaning up the lobby, with parts of its exterior damaged.

Hong Kong and Macao, a nearby casino hub, cancelled schools and flights, with many shops closed, while hundreds of people sought refuge in temporary centres.

Streets in Macao turned into streams with debris floating on the water. Rescue crews deployed inflatable boats to save those who were trapped. The gambling city’s local electricity supplier suspended its power supply in some flooded, low-lying areas for safety.

Hong Kong’s observatory said Ragasa had maximum sustained winds near the centre of about 120mph and skirted around 62 miles to the south of the financial hub.

Hong Kong categorises cyclones with sustained winds of 185kph or stronger as super typhoons to make residents extra vigilant about intense storms.

The observatory said Ragasa is the strongest tropical cyclone in the north-western Pacific and South China Sea region so far this year.

Preliminary analysis showed it also ranks as the second-strongest one in the South China Sea region since the observatory’s record-keeping began in 1950, tying with typhoons Saola in 2023 and Yagi in 2024, it said.

Ragasa earlier caused deaths and damage in Taiwan and the Philippines after the typhoon took a path between them.

In Taiwan, 17 people died after heavy rain caused a barrier lake in Hualien County to overflow on Tuesday and torrents of muddy water destroyed a bridge, turning roads in Guangfu into churning rivers that carried vehicles and furniture away.

Guangfu has about 8,450 people, more than half of whom sought safety on higher floors of their homes or on higher ground.

Rescuers managed to establish contact with more than 100 others who were previously unreachable, and were going door-to-door to check on the remaining 17 residents. A total of 32 people were injured across the self-ruled island.

At least 10 deaths were reported in the northern Philippines, including seven fishermen who drowned after their boat was battered by huge waves and fierce winds and flipped over on Monday off Santa Ana in the province of Cagayan.

Five other fishermen remained missing, officials said.

Nearly 700,000 people were affected by the onslaught in the main northern Philippine region of Luzon, including 25,000 people who fled to government emergency shelters.