Typhoon Ragasa makes landfall in Yangjiang City, Guangdong, after leaving 17 dead in Taiwan
Ragasa made landfall over the coast of China’s Guangdong Province at 17:00 LT (09:00 UTC) on September 24, 2025, as a severe typhoon, with sustained winds of 145 km/h (90 mph). The storm caused widespread disruption across southern China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, where at least 17 people were killed in flooding a day earlier.
Satellite image of Typhoon Ragasa making landfall in Guangdong, China on September 24, 2025. Credit: JMA/Himawari-9, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers
Typhoon Ragasa made landfall on the coast of Hailing Island, in Yangjiang City, Guangdong, at around 17:00 LT (09:00 UTC) on September 24. Sustained winds near the center reached 145 km/h (90 mph) at the time of landfall, with minimum central pressure at 955 hPa.
Winds exceeding 100 km/h (62 mph) along with heavy rainfall were already affecting parts of Guangdong, including Zhuhai, where police vehicles patrolled the streets with megaphones urging people to stay indoors. Residents in high-rise buildings in Zhuhai were ordered to evacuate, with some moving to nearby hotels for shelter.
According to the Associated Press, a weather station in Chuandao town, southern China, recorded maximum gusts of 241 km/h (150 mph) at noon. This set a new record for the highest wind speed in Jiangmen City since record-keeping began.
China had evacuated nearly 2 million people from Guangdong on September 23 as a pre-emptive measure. Authorities across mainland China ordered businesses and schools to close in at least 10 cities across the south, affecting tens of millions of people.
Ragasa had already battered Taiwan, Hong Kong, and parts of southern China prior to landfall.
At least 17 people were confirmed dead after the Matai’an Creek barrier lake overflowed in Hualien County, Taiwan, on September 23. Hundreds were reported missing or stranded after the overflow as rainfall totals exceeded 700 mm (28 inches).
Hong Kong was completely shut down as the typhoon passed near the coast, with more than 60 people reported injured due to strong winds and heavy rain.
The Hong Kong Observatory reported winds near the center of Ragasa reached 195 km/h (121 mph) at its closest approach to the city on the morning of September 24.
The wind speeds matched those of Typhoon Saola in 2023 and surpassed those of Typhoon Hato in 2017 (185 km/h / 115 mph), Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018 (175 km/h / 109 mph), and Typhoon Wipha in 2025 (140 km/h / 87 mph) at their closest approaches to the city.
While forecasters indicated possible landfall in Hong Kong, Ragasa grazed past the coast at a distance of roughly 100 km (62 miles) at its closest approach.
Businesses and homes were flooded across Hong Kong and other affected regions, with widespread power outages caused by downed trees and power lines.
Coastal areas experienced storm surges of over 3 m (10 feet) above normal, according to the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). China’s marine authority issued its highest red wave warning for the first time this year.
The city began restoring essential services as the typhoon weakened. However, multiple warnings remained in place.
The HKO issued the T10 signal at 14:40 LT (06:40 UTC) on September 23 before lowering it to T8 at 13:20 LT (05:20 UTC) on September 24. The No. 8 warning was expected to be downgraded to No. 3 at 20:20 LT (12:20 UTC) as the storm moved away.
Railway services resumed in Hong Kong, with multiple lines running on adjusted frequency. The Airport Express operated every 10 minutes, though the in-town check-in service at Hong Kong Station was extended to 120 minutes before flight departure until further notice.
The South Island Line and Tung Chung Line operated every 10 minutes. Most other major lines, including the Tuen Ma Line, Kwun Tong Line, Island Line, and Tsuen Wan Line, ran at 15-minute intervals.
Service on the Tseung Kwan O Line was split, with trains between North Point and Po Lam running every 10 minutes, while the branch to Lohas Park operated every 15 minutes.
For the East Rail Line, trains to Lo Wu ran every 15 minutes and services to Lok Ma Chau operated every 20 minutes. The Disneyland Resort Line ran every 20 minutes.
The Light Rail operated services on adjusted 20-minute frequency, including lines 505, 614, 615, 751, 761P, 705, and 706. Other lines were being prepared for resumption. Bus services were scheduled to resume after 21:20 LT (13:20 UTC) on September 24.
Flights in Hong Kong were scheduled to resume after midnight LT (16:00 UTC), according to the Airport Authority.
About 140 000 passengers were affected by flight disruptions over the past 48 hours, according to the South China Morning Post. If conditions allowed, more than 20 flights were expected to arrive in Hong Kong between midnight and 06:00 LT (16:00–22:00 UTC) on September 25.
Earlier on September 23, Cathay Pacific said it expected more than 500 flight cancellations, while Hong Kong Airlines announced it would suspend all departures.
Multiple landslides were reported across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Taiwan due to Ragasa’s impact.
The storm had already claimed at least 3 lives in the Philippines, where it made its first landfall on September 22.
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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