by Natasha Lair
Last updated: 9:10 AM ET, Tue September 23, 2025
Hong Kong has come to a near standstill as Super Typhoon Ragasa, dubbed the strongest storm of the year so far, barrels toward China’s southern coast.
The typhoon, known in the Philippines as Nando, made landfall on Monday over Panuitan Island in northern Cagayan province, bringing destructive winds and torrential rain that forced the evacuation of thousands. Nearby Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China are bracing for impact.
Reuters reports that authorities in Hong Kong raised the No. 8 typhoon signal at 2:20 p.m. local time on Tuesday, prompting most businesses and transport services to close.
According to multiple sources, the impact is already rippling across Asia’s travel and tourism economy, from stranded passengers to shuttered casinos. With Macau forced into temporary closure and Hong Kong’s airport effectively paralyzed, one of the world’s busiest aviation corridors has ground to a halt during peak typhoon season.
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The Hong Kong Observatory warned that with winds of up to 220 km/h (137 mph), it poses a “severe threat to the coast of Guangdong” and could trigger storm surges similar to those of Typhoons Hato (2017) and Mangkhut (2018), which caused billions in damage.
More than 700 flights have already been disrupted across Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, with airlines suspending most passenger services until Thursday.
In Taiwan, 273 flights were cancelled on Tuesday, while in Macau, authorities ordered all casinos to close by 5 p.m. local time.
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Guangdong province evacuated more than 770,000 people, according to state broadcaster CCTV, with over one million expected to be relocated.
China’s Environmental Forecasting Centre reported waves as high as seven metres (21 feet) along Guangdong’s coast, while Hong Kong authorities warned water levels could rise by four to five metres in some areas.
The storm is expected to make landfall in Guangdong between midday and late Wednesday, with authorities in Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan continuing emergency preparations.
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