By Eniola Amadu
Hong Kong came to a standstill on Tuesday as Super Typhoon Ragasa — the world’s most powerful tropical cyclone so far this year — advanced towards the southern Chinese coast, forcing widespread shutdowns, mass flight cancellations and panic buying across the city.
The Hong Kong Observatory said Ragasa was packing winds of up to 220 km/h (137 mph) and posed a “severe threat to the coast of Guangdong,” the Chinese province bordering the financial hub.
The storm is expected to maintain its super typhoon strength as it edges towards land, with landfall projected between midday and late Wednesday.
Authorities raised the No. 8 typhoon signal — Hong Kong’s third-highest storm alert — at 2:20 p.m. local time (0620 GMT), triggering closures of most businesses, schools and public services.
More than 700 flights were cancelled or rescheduled across the region, disrupting air traffic not only in Hong Kong but also in Macau and Taiwan.
Supermarkets across the city were emptied as residents stocked up on food and water in anticipation of a two-day shutdown.
Windows in homes and businesses were taped up, while authorities distributed sandbags in flood-prone areas.
“We shut the windows and doors closely at home and checked if there is leaking,” said a 35-year-old resident, Mr. Mak, who was seen buying extra supplies.
The observatory warned that hurricane-force winds offshore and at high ground were likely on Wednesday, with heavy rains bringing the risk of flooding and a major storm surge.
Sea levels are expected to rise by about two metres in most coastal areas, and could reach four to five metres in low-lying districts, similar to the devastation caused by Typhoon Hato in 2017 and Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018.
In Guangdong province, more than 370,000 people were evacuated ahead of the storm, according to state media. Local governments urged residents to remain indoors until the storm passes.
Despite the shutdown of most commercial activity, Hong Kong’s Stock Exchange confirmed it would remain open, citing a revised policy introduced last year to continue trading regardless of weather conditions.
While some businesses braced for losses, others sought to attract customers working from home. A bar on the outlying island of Lantau advertised a 20% discount on all drinks for as long as the T8 signal remained in place.
The weather bureau said it would reassess late Tuesday or early Wednesday whether to issue an even higher alert as Ragasa edges closer.
