Typhoon Ragasa batters Hong Kong and south China after killing dozens in Taiwan and the Philippines

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SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest storms to hit Asia in years, whipped waves taller than lampposts onto Hong Kong promenades and turned seas rough on the southern Chinese coast on Wednesday after leaving deadly destruction in Taiwan and the Philippines.

In Taiwan, 17 people died after floods submerged roads and carried away vehicles in one county, and 10 deaths were reported in the northern Philippines.

More than 2 million people were relocated across Guangdong province, the southern Chinese economic powerhouse, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said. A weather station in Chuandao town recorded maximum gusts of 241 kph (about 150 mph) at noon, a high in Jiangmen city since record-keeping began. State broadcaster CCTV said the typhoon made landfall along the coast of Hailing Island in Yangjiang city at about 5 p.m., packing maximum winds near the center of 144 kph (89 mph). Violent winds battered trees and buildings, with torrential rain lowering visibility, video from Xinhua showed.

The typhoon is forecast to keep moving west, prompting the suspension of some train services in the Gunagxi region on Thursday. Chinese officials allocated tens of millions of dollars for relief efforts.

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.

Winds and waves lash Hong Kong, push seawater onto promenade

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 like 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. 90 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. The hotel said on Facebook that the typhoon “made a dramatic entrance” but its guests and staff were safe.

Hong Kong and Macao, a nearby casino hub, canceled schools and flights, with many shops closed. Hundreds of people sought refuge in temporary centers in each city. 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. As the winds eased, some waded into flooded streets to catch fish.

Hong Kong’s observatory said Ragasa had maximum sustained winds near the center of about 195 kph (120 mph) and skirted around 100 kilometers (62 miles) to the south of the city. Hong Kong categorizes cyclones with sustained winds 185 kph or stronger as super typhoons to make residents extra vigilant about intense storms.

The observatory said Ragasa is the strongest tropical cyclone in the northwestern 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.

Dozens dead in floods and at sea in Philippines and Taiwan

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 Tuesday and torrents of muddy water destroyed a bridge, turning roads in Guangfu township 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 on Wednesday morning.

Rescuers managed to establish contact with more than 100 others who were previously unreachable in Hualien, 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 wind and flipped over on Monday off Santa Ana town in northern Cagayan province. Five other fishermen remained missing, provincial officials said.

Nearly 700,000 people were affected by the onslaught, of whom 25,000 fled to government emergency shelters.

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Leung reported from Hong Kong. Associated Press journalists Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, and Johnson Lai in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.