Landfall Expected in Guangdong on the 24th
As Super Typhoon Ragas, the 18th typhoon of the season, approached southern China, both southern China and Hong Kong took measures such as flight cancellations and school closures.
According to Yonhap News, citing the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 23rd, the Hong Kong Observatory issued Typhoon Signal No. 8 at 2 p.m. on this day. This was due to forecasts that Ragas would bring strong winds with maximum speeds of 230 km/h and thunderstorms.
On the 23rd, a supermarket shelf in Hong Kong was completely empty due to the impact of the typhoon. Photo by AFP Yonhap News.
The typhoon is expected to affect most areas of the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, and the coastal regions of southern Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong starting from the morning of the 24th. During this period, some areas may experience up to 450 mm of heavy rainfall.
Guangdong Province held a typhoon response task force meeting the previous day and stated, "All departments in the province must enter a full emergency and wartime response status," adding, "Every possible method should be mobilized to take immediate action, and various contingency plans must be prepared to establish a line of defense before the typhoon makes landfall."
In Zhongshan and Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, kindergartens, elementary, and middle schools were ordered to close for two days. In addition, in certain areas such as Dongguan, Zhongshan, and Yangjiang, five categories including classes, transportation, and construction will be suspended.
Shenzhen Airport will temporarily suspend all flights from 8 p.m. on this day, and major tourist attractions in Guangdong Province will also be closed. Furthermore, since the 22nd, at least 700 flights have been canceled in Hong Kong.
Sandbags piled up in an alley of a residential area in Hong Kong to prepare for the super typhoon Ragas. Photo by AFP and Yonhap News Agency
Previously, Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flagship carrier, announced that about 500 flights would be canceled, and low-cost airline HK Express stated that approximately 100 flights would also be canceled. Since the 22nd, all classes at kindergartens, elementary, and middle schools have been completely canceled.
The SCMP reported that the maximum wind speed of Ragas could surpass the record set by Typhoon Saola in 2021, which devastated downtown Hong Kong with winds reaching up to 210 km/h.
As a result, residents in some areas have been advised to refrain from going outside and to prepare at least three days' worth of emergency supplies. Consequently, food sections in supermarkets in areas such as Shenzhen and Zhuhai have been left empty.
On Chinese online platforms, images of empty supermarket shelves in southern cities such as Shenzhen due to panic buying have been widely shared. Farmers have also been busy rushing shipments to avoid typhoon damage.
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