Super Typhoon Ragasa, the most powerful tropical cyclone of 2025, battered Hong Kong on Wednesday, September 24, with hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall, prompting citywide closures and the cancellation of more than 700 flights.
I was originally tempted to go out and and livestream typhoon Ragasa, but I guess for now it is safer to stay inside…
Location: Zhuhai, Mainland China; a small town in between Macau and Hong Kong pic.twitter.com/xf4u4MRlon
— Ponte Travels (@micheleponte) September 24, 2025
In anticipation of the storm, residents rushed to supermarkets, triggering panic buying that left shelves nearly empty and forced some to queue for hours amid fears that shops might remain closed for up to two days. Many households taped their windows to reduce the risk of injury from shattered glass.
Ragasa, packing winds reaching 200 km/h (124 mph), is forecast to pass roughly 100 km south of Hong Kong early Wednesday morning. The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No. 10 typhoon signal late Tuesday, the highest warning, advising the shutdown of most businesses and transport services.
Super #TyphoonRagasa, the world’s most powerful tropical #cyclone this year, lashed #HongKong with powerful winds and heavy rain.
The city shut down, over 700 flights cancelled, fearing shops would be closed for two days. pic.twitter.com/Y52Hh0MbNz
— Chaudhary Parvez (@ChaudharyParvez) September 24, 2025
“Seas will be phenomenal with swells. There will be overtopping waves over the shoreline, particularly along the eastern and southern coasts,” the observatory said.
Authorities also cautioned that rising sea levels could rival those during Typhoon Hato in 2017 and Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, both of which caused billions of dollars in damage.
Typhoon Ragasa now impacting mainland China and Hong Kong
Position: 21.1N 114.8E
Movement past 6 hours: 285 DEGREES AT 12 KTS
Pressure: 939 MB
Maximum Significant Wave Height: 50 FEET
Max Sustained Winds: 115 KT
Gusts: 140 KT pic.twitter.com/7WdNRTkyt9— AvScanNZ 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Trav) September 23, 2025
A storm surge has already begun raising water levels, with the observatory predicting a peak of around four metres (13 feet) around noon (0400 GMT). The city has opened 49 temporary shelters, with 727 people currently taking refuge.
Hong Kong’s Stock Exchange remains open, following a policy introduced last year to continue trading regardless of severe weather. Ragasa is expected to maintain super typhoon strength as it moves toward Guangdong in mainland China and Taiwan, after striking the northern Philippines on Monday.
Authorities in Guangdong evacuated more than 770,000 residents, according to state broadcaster CCTV. Nearby Macau, the gambling hub adjacent to Hong Kong, issued its own No. 10 warning at 5:30 a.m.
