South China suspends schools, work, airports as Typhoon Ragasa approaches

A man walks past statues that have been secured against strong winds from Super Typhoon Ragasa in Exchange Square in Hong Kong on September 23, 2025. The typhoon is forecast to make landfall along Guangdong Province's coastal areas on September 24. Photo: VCG

Several cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan and Dongguan in South China's Guangdong Province have suspended classes, work, transport, and business operations, with Shenzhen airport halting flights from 8 pm Tuesday, as the region braces for Super Typhoon Ragasa, which is forecast to make landfall along the province's central and western coastal areas on Wednesday.

China's Ministry of Natural Resources told the Global Times on Tuesday that Ragasa is expected to trigger severe storm surges and destructive waves along Guangdong's coast. On Tuesday morning, the National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center raised both storm and wave warnings to the highest red alert level early in the morning, this year's first dual red alert for marine disasters, while the ministry upgraded its marine disaster emergency response for Guangdong to Level I at 9 am.

China's disaster relief authorities, including the national disaster prevention commission, the Ministry of Emergency Management, and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, urgently allocated 60,000 relief items to Guangdong on Tuesday. The supplies include tents, folding beds, summer quilts, emergency lighting lamps, and household emergency kits, aiming to support the local area in properly conducting risk avoidance, relocation and resettlement of affected people as well as disaster relief and assistance work, People's Daily APP reported.

"All schools in Foshan are closed today. In response to the typhoon, the local government has opened emergency shelters, ensured stable supplies of meat and vegetables, and kept prices steady. Our community has also distributed a typhoon safety guide," said a Foshan resident surnamed Liu.

A Shenzhen resident surnamed Su told the Global Times said his company switched to remote work on Tuesday afternoon. He noted that while many people were stocking up at supermarkets, shelves remained full and there was no sign of panic.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday that the SAR government activated its emergency response on Monday morning to carry out real-time monitoring, risk assessment, and formulate response measures. The government has announced the closure of all schools on Tuesday and Wednesday, and temporary shelters were open. Around 240 flood-prone locations have been inspected and cleared, 200 emergency drainage teams have been deployed, and pumping robots are on standby for immediate dispatch, according to China News Service (CNS).

He added that flight operations at Hong Kong International Airport would be sharply reduced starting the evening of Tuesday, with many flights canceled on Wednesday. However, the airport terminals will stay open 24 hours to serve passengers.

According to China Central Television (CCTV), in Macao, the four cross-sea bridges connecting the city to Taipa, as well as the Lotus Bridge, were closed at 6.30 pm. The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge was closed at 3 pm on Tuesday, and all passenger ferry services were suspended. After issuing an orange storm warning at 1 pm, the Macao SAR government will also carry out an evacuation plan for low-lying areas, which is expected to be completed by 5 pm Tuesday.

Wang Gan, chief forecaster at the China Meteorological Administration, said Ragasa formed on the night of September 18 over warm waters east of the Philippines. In that area, sea surface temperatures exceeded 29 C and the warm water layer was deep, serving as an "energy reservoir" that fueled its intensification. Meanwhile, the convergence of the southwest monsoon and the easterly flow within the tropical convergence zone provided abundant moisture, and atmospheric instability supported strong convection. In addition, weak vertical wind shear along the typhoon's path helped maintain its warm-core structure, further accelerating its rapid strengthening, Xinhua reported.

Ren Guoyu, former chief expert at the National Climate Center and a professor at China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), told the Global Times on Tuesday that China has been hit by more and stronger typhoons this year, linked to abnormally high sea surface temperatures in the western tropical Pacific, a phenomenon often seen during La Niña years.

Article taken from globaltimes.cn