Hong Kong shuts down ahead of Super Typhoon Ragasa

HONG KONG, September 24 ------ Hong Kong shut down ahead of Super Typhoon Ragasa, the world’s most powerful tropical cyclone so far this year, with authorities urging people to stay at home, while most passenger flights were due to be suspended until Thursday.

People piled into supermarkets, leaving little on the shelves, as panic-buying set in and residents stocked up on necessities for fear that shops could be closed for two days. Windows in homes and businesses across the city were taped up, with residents hoping it could help reduce the impact of any shattered glass.

Ragasa, packing hurricane-force winds of up to 220 kilometers per hour (137 miles per hour), is posing a “severe threat to the coast of Guangdong,” the Hong Kong Observatory said, referring to the Chinese province that neighbors the financial hub. It will maintain super-typhoon intensity as it edges closer to the coast of Guangdong, and as it impacts Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan, after sweeping through the northern Philippines on Monday.

Hong Kong issued typhoon signal 8 — its third highest — at 2:20 p.m., which urges most businesses and transport services to shut down. More than 700 flights have been disrupted, including in the neighboring gambling hub of Macao and in Taiwan. The weather was expected to deteriorate rapidly later in the day, and the observatory said it would assess whether to issue a higher warning on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

Hurricane-force winds offshore and on high ground were likely in Hong Kong on Wednesday, with heavy rain expected to lead to a significant storm and sea surge in the densely packed city. It warned of rising sea levels, which it said would be similar to those seen during Typhoon Hato in 2017 and Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, both of which caused billions of dollars in damage.

Water levels will rise about 2 meters (6 feet) along Hong Kong’s coastal areas and maximum water levels could reach 4 to 5 m (12 to 15 ft) in some areas, the observatory said, urging residents to take appropriate precautions. Local authorities handed out sandbags for residents to bolster their homes in low-lying areas, while many people stockpiled daily necessities.

A 35-year-old resident surnamed Mak said he had already bought some groceries but still needed to get more and was preparing his home for the typhoon. “We shut the windows and doors closely at home and checked if there is leaking,” he said.

Source: manilatimes.net