A spokesperson for Airport Authority Hong Kong told Reuters it was closely monitoring the storm’s progress and had already begun preparations to manage the impact. An official announcement is expected later on Monday. According to Bloomberg News, the Hong Kong Observatory is set to hoist its first precautionary signal for the typhoon around noon
Man stands by debris during heavy rain from Typhoon Ragasa in Aparri, Cagayan, on Monday. PIC/ AFP
Hong Kong International Airport is preparing to suspend all passenger flights for 36 hours as Super Typhoon Ragasa approaches the city, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. Airport and aviation officials plan to halt services from as early as 6 pm local time on Tuesday until 6 am on Thursday, the report said.
If confirmed, this would mark one of the longest shutdowns in the airport’s recent history.
A spokesperson for Airport Authority Hong Kong told Reuters it was closely monitoring the storm’s progress and had already begun preparations to manage the impact. An official announcement is expected later on Monday.
According to Bloomberg News, the Hong Kong Observatory is set to hoist its first precautionary signal for the typhoon around noon on Monday.
The Philippines also suspended work and classes across Metro Manila and several other regions on Monday as Ragasa moved toward northern Luzon, bringing the threat of destructive winds and heavy rainfall, Reuters reported.
Super Typhoon Ragasa is forecast to be among the strongest storms to hit the region in years, raising concerns over widespread disruption to transport and economic activity across Asia’s major financial and trade hubs.
Meanwhile, thousands of people were evacuated from northern Philippine villages, and schools and offices were closed on Monday in the archipelago and neighbouring Taiwan, as one of the strongest typhoons this year threatened to cause flooding and landslides on its way to southeastern China.
Super Typhoon Ragasa had sustained winds of 215 kilometres (134 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 265 km/h (165 mph). It was centred east of the island town of Calayan, off Cagayan province, Philippine forecasters said. The typhoon was moving west at 20 km/h (12 mph) and may pass close to or make landfall over Cagayan's Babuyan Islands by midday or early afternoon on Monday.
As per the news agency AP, the Philippine weather agency warned of coastal inundation, stating that “there is a high risk of life-threatening storm surge with peak heights exceeding 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) within the next 24 hours” in the low-lying or exposed coastal areas of the northern provinces of Cagayan, Batanes, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur.
Power was knocked out on Calayan Island and in the entire northern mountain province of Apayao, west of Cagayan, disaster-response officials said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or further damage from Ragasa, which is locally called Nando.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr suspended government work and classes at all levels on Monday in the capital and in 29 provinces in the main northern Luzon region.
According to AP, more than 8,200 people were evacuated to safety in Cagayan, while 1,220 sought shelter in emergency evacuation centres in Apayao, which is prone to flash floods and landslides. Domestic flights were suspended in northern provinces being lashed by the typhoon, and fishing boats and inter-island ferries were prohibited from leaving ports due to extremely rough seas.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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