Typhoon Ragasa Strikes China After Fatal Flooding in Taiwan

Mon Sep 29 2025 00:45:33 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Typhoon Ragasa, dubbed the 'King of Storms', hits China with destructive winds and heavy rainfall following a deadly aftermath in Taiwan, where flooding from a burst lake has claimed lives.

Typhoon Ragasa made landfall in southern China, prompting mass evacuations as it approached after causing widespread destruction in Taiwan, where 17 people have died due to severe flooding. The storm, downgraded to a severe typhoon yet still packing winds of up to 241km/h, poses further risks of landslides and seawater intrusion in coastal cities. Rescue efforts in Taiwan are ongoing as authorities investigate the responses to the crisis.

Typhoon Ragasa has made landfall in southern China, where nearly two million people have been evacuated in preparation for its arrival.

It comes after authorities said at least 17 people had been killed and more missing in Taiwan after a lake burst on Tuesday, causing severe flooding in the island's east.

Ragasa was downgraded from a super to a severe typhoon on Wednesday but it remains highly destructive, with top winds of 241km/h (150mph) recorded in Taishan county in China's south-eastern Guangdong province.

The equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane, Ragasa is the world's strongest storm this year and has been roaring over the South China Sea for days.

Ahead of making landfall, 90 people were injured in Hong Kong as the storm skirted its coastline, the hospital authority said.

The typhoon made landfall on the coast of Hailing Island, Yanjiang City in Guangdong at about 17:00 local time (9:00 GMT) on Wednesday, according to Chinese state media.

It crossed the mainland with sustained winds of 144km/h and higher gusts. Wind speeds are expected to gradually weaken as the storm moves westwards over land but rain will be torrential and slow-moving across the region for several more days.

The southern Chinese cities of Zhuhai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou - all located in Guangdong - were braced for seawater intrusion from about midday local time. In Zhuhai, police patrolled the streets with sirens and megaphones, telling people to stay at home.

Red alerts for landslides were also issued in the mountainous regions of Guangdong province.

Away from the Chinese mainland, authorities in Taiwan are still dealing with the destruction caused by Ragasa, which officials have described as being far worse than anticipated.

Premier Cho Jung-Tai has demanded an inquiry into how evacuations were carried out after at least 17 people died after a barrier lake, formed by a landslide in July, burst its banks in Hualien county, causing severe flooding in the town of Guangfu. Others remain missing, the fire department said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the village chief of the township of Dama in Taiwan, home to about 1,000 people, said the entire village had been flooded and many people were still stranded as a result of the Matai'an Creek barrier lake burst.

Some geologists have described the breach as a tsunami from the mountains as an estimated 15.4 million tonnes of water – equivalent to 6,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools – were released when the dam burst.

The flooding washed away several key bridges, submerged vehicles and left the ground floors of homes underwater. Many residents were trapped on upper storeys awaiting rescue.

Though the typhoon did not make landfall in Hong Kong, the hospital authority said 90 people were injured after it skirted the coastline, unleashing powerful winds and heavy rain.

The China Meteorological Administration has described Ragasa as the King of Storms and is expected to be more destructive than the other typhoons that made landfall in China's Guangdong province earlier this year.

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