Tropical storm Ragasa is pushing west across southern China today, with Vietnam now bracing for heavy rain and floods after the year’s strongest cyclone battered Taiwan, the Philippines and Guangdong province.
Ragasa weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall close to Yangjiang in southern China at around 5pm local time on Wednesday (9am GMT) with sustained winds of 144kmph.
Train services were halted, thousands of trees uprooted and many streets were left inundated and facing power cuts.
Before crossing over onto land in southern China, the storm brought several Asian megacities to a standstill on Wednesday. Streets were empty in Hong Kong as the storm brought waves taller than lampposts to its promenades.
Hong Kong’s international airport, schools were shut and shelves in supermarkets emptied.
In Taiwan, a barrier lake burst its banks amid downpours from the outer bands of Typhoon Ragasa, flooding a town and killing 14 people.
Earlier the storm lashed the northern Philippines, killing 11 as it triggered widespread flooding and landslides.
Key Points
- Weaker Ragasa heads toward Vietnam after leaving trail of destruction
- Typhoon Ragasa sets wind record in China as deadly storm batters Asia
- At least 14 people killed in Taiwan after lake bursts
- Mother and son critical after being swept into sea during Typhoon Ragasa
- Mapped: Super Typhoon Ragasa path
Ragasa weakens to tropical depression
11:00 , Stuti MishraRagasa has weakened to a tropical depression with sustained winds of 55kmph (34mph) as it tracked west toward Vietnam, where it is forecast to dissipate but continue bringing heavy rain across Southeast Asia.
Taiwan probes typhoon evacuation orders after deadly flood kills 14
10:30 , Stuti MishraTaiwan’s government has launched an investigation into evacuation protocols after 14 people died when a barrier lake burst in Hualien county, sending a wall of water through Guangfu township during Super Typhoon Ragasa.
Authorities are still searching for 33 people missing after the disaster on the island’s remote east coast. The victims were mostly elderly residents unable to climb to higher floors, raising questions about whether official guidance to seek “vertical evacuation” was appropriate.
“Beyond mourning the victims, we must investigate the causes of death, which predominantly occurred on the first floors,” Premier Cho Jung-tai told a cabinet meeting on Thursday. “Clarifying these factors is essential for refining future evacuation protocols.”
Lin Jung-lu, a Hualien official, said many of those who died had disabilities and could not walk to safety. Chang Chih-hsiung, a youth representative of the local Amis indigenous community, told Reuters that poor communication and limited access to mobile phones meant some older residents did not grasp the urgency of the warnings.
Wang Tse-an, head of Dama village, said a mandatory evacuation order saved lives in his community, which was hit first but recorded no deaths. “Other villages thought they could just do ‘vertical evacuation’. They did not expect the flood to reach that high,” he said.
Floodwaters swept away a major road bridge, cutting off Guangfu from the main highway. Drone images showed only the bridge supports left in the riverbed, with homes marooned in thick mud. Train services have since resumed, but warnings remain in place over the weakened barrier dam in the mountains.
Search for missing continues in Taiwan
09:55 , Stuti MishraTaiwanese authorities are continuing to search for 33 people missing after Typhoon Regasa flooded a lake above a small town on its remote east coast, leading to a disaster as many victims were too elderly to follow evacuation guidance to go upstairs in their homes.
The deaths, their tally revised down to 14 from 17, followed heavy rains brought by the outer bands of Super Typhoon Ragasa to Hualien county, causing a barrier lake in the mountains to overflow and release a wall of water on the town of Guangfu.
The rain has stopped, but the government maintains warnings on the barrier dam in a remote mountain area behind Guangfu.
How Trump’s aid cuts leave the Philippines more exposed to powerful cyclones like Typhoon Ragasa
09:20 , Stuti MishraThe increasing frequency and intensity of tropical storms caused by the climate crisis, alongside the devastating cuts implemented by Donald Trump this year to US aid programmes funding climate resilience, is exposing the country to greater risk from storms. The Philippines took a $104m (£77m) hit with the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), that cut representing 95 per cent of the US overseas aid programme in the country.
Read more from Nick Ferris.
Typhoon Ragasa: Trump aid cuts leave the Philippines more exposed to cyclones
Another storm heads towards Philippines
08:45 , Stuti MishraAnother tropical storm was approaching the Philippines from the Pacific. The storm, which was named Opong in the country and Bualoi elsewhere, was forecast to hit the east-central Philippines on Friday and could still strengthen into a typhoon. It had sustained winds of up to 110kmph (68 mph) and higher gusts, government forecasters said.
TROPICAL CYCLONE BULLETIN NR. 10
— PAGASA-DOST (@dost_pagasa) September 25, 2025
Severe Tropical Storm #OpongPH (BUALOI)
Issued at 2:00 PM, 25 September 2025
Valid for broadcast until the next bulletin at 5:00 PM today.
SEVERE TROPICAL STORM OPONG MAINTAINS ITS STRENGTH WHILE MOVING WESTWARD OVER THE PHILIPPINE SEA. pic.twitter.com/6zrPmo9Gad
Macau residents seen fishing in flooded streets after Ragasa storm surge
08:00 , Stuti MishraMacau residents were spotted wading through knee-deep seawater with nets and bags to catch fish swept inland by Super Typhoon Ragasa, videos circulating online showed.
The city raised its highest No 10 typhoon warning as hurricane-force winds and storm surges submerged low-lying districts. Some residents used bicycles and even incubators to carry their catch, with families seen bringing children to collect fish near the historic A-Ma Temple, The Standard reported.
Authorities had repeatedly urged people to remain indoors during the most dangerous phase of the storm. The Civil Protection Operations Centre said four people were injured and electricity was cut in some flooded zones as a precaution.
By the afternoon, the storm surge warning was lowered from red to blue, and the typhoon signal downgraded to No 8 as Ragasa moved away from the city.
After #TyphoonRagasa, seawater flooded #Macau streets — now residents are wading in and catching fish like it’s a giant pond. #typhoon pic.twitter.com/PUNYZGE8MT
— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) September 24, 2025
Thousands of trees destroyed and many without power in China
07:30 , Stuti MishraMore than 50,000 trees were destroyed in Yangjiang, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported.
Streets were submerged and crews used excavators to clear debris. In Zhuhai, rescuers deployed inflatable boats to reach stranded residents, while more than 56,000 homes lost power across Guangdong by Wednesday night.
The storm has killed at least 14 people in Taiwan and 11 in the Philippines
Taiwan revises down Super Typhoon Ragasa death toll to 14, but 33 missing
07:00 , Stuti MishraTaiwan's fire department revised down to 14 the death toll from the typhoon this week on its remote east coast, but said 33 people were still unaccounted for.
The deaths happened after Super Typhoon Ragasa's outer bands brought heavy rain to Taiwan's Hualien county, causing a barrier lake in the mountains to overflow and unleash a wall of water onto the small town of Guangfu.
Having said the previous day that 17 had died, the fire department adjusted that to 14, saying some casualties had been counted twice.
It put the new number of missing at 33, a figure that had hit 152 at one point, as the government searches for people reported out of contact.
Weaker Ragasa heads toward Vietnam after leaving trail of destruction
06:40 , Stuti MishraTropical Storm Ragasa weakened as it pushed west across southern China today, with Vietnam now bracing for heavy rain and floods after the year’s strongest cyclone battered Taiwan, the Philippines and Guangdong province.
Vietnam’s prime minister, Phạm Minh Chính, ordered ministries and local authorities to protect key infrastructure such as dams and hospitals, secure fishing vessels, and prepare evacuation and rescue operations.
Some flights were cancelled or rescheduled, and workers trimmed roadside trees in northern provinces to reduce wind hazards.
The storm had sustained winds of about 65kmph this morning, down from its peak as a super typhoon with 265kmph winds earlier in the week. Forecasters said Ragasa would continue to weaken but remain a rain threat across parts of Southeast Asia.
Hong Kong reopens after Ragasa
06:30 , Stuti MishraHong Kong resumed flights out of its international airport on Thursday after a 36-hour suspension, reopening businesses, transportation services and some schools after the world’s most powerful typhoon this year lashed the financial hub.
Ragasa brought the densely populated city to a standstill from Tuesday afternoon, after sweeping through the northern Philippines and Taiwan where it killed 14, before making landfall on the southern Chinese city of Yangjiang on Wednesday.
More than 100 people were injured in Hong Kong, where authorities imposed the highest typhoon signal 10 for most of Wednesday. On Thursday, the observatory maintained its second-lowest typhoon signal 3, keeping kindergartens and some schools shut as Ragasa moved away from the city and weakened into a tropical storm.
Huge waves crashed over areas of Hong Kong’s eastern and southern shoreline on yesterday, with widespread flooding submerging some roads and residential properties.
Photos: Damage from Ragasa in China
06:11 , Stuti Mishra
China allocates £16m in relief funds after Typhoon Ragasa floods
05:15 , Stuti MishraChinese authorities have earmarked 150 million yuan (about £16m) in disaster-relief funds to support rescue and recovery work in provinces hit by Typhoon Ragasa.
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management said the money will be directed to Guangdong, Hainan and Fujian, where it will be used for relocating residents, inspecting risks of secondary disasters, clearing hazards and carrying out emergency repairs.
Trains suspended in Guanxi
04:45 , Stuti MishraSchools, factories and transport services were suspended in a dozen cities across southern China.
Some were preparing to reopen as conditions eased, but trains in neighbouring Guangxi will remain suspended on Thursday, officials said.
Typhoon Ragasa sets wind record in China as deadly storm batters Asia
04:31 , Stuti MishraTyphoon Ragasa smashed into southern China on Wednesday, with a weather station in Guangdong recording wind gusts of 241kmph (150mph) – the strongest on record for the city of Jiangmen – as the storm left a trail of destruction across Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and the Philippines.
More than 2 million people were relocated across Guangdong province, state media reported, before the typhoon made landfall on Hailing Island in Yangjiang city at about 5pm local time.
State broadcaster CCTV said Ragasa struck with maximum winds of 144kmph near its centre, lashing coastal areas with violent gusts and torrential rain that reduced visibility to just a few metres.
Hong Kong stock market stayed open despite Typhoon
02:00 , Daniel KeaneChim Lee, a senior energy and climate change specialist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, says authorities in South East Asia and East Asia have “taken lessons from [typhoons] Hato and Mangkhut, which both caused billions of dollars in damage in 2017 and 2018”.
“The Pearl River Delta is one of the best-prepared regions for typhoons, so we’re not expecting major disruptions.
“One change this year is that the Hong Kong stock market has stayed open during typhoons - a sign of how resilient the infrastructure has become,” he said.
Pictured: A woman tries to open an umbrella in Shenzhen as typhoon hits
01:00 , Daniel Keane
Mother relives terrifying moment Typhoon struck Hong Kong
Thursday 25 September 2025 00:01 , Daniel KeaneA woman has recalled the “terrifying” moment that Typhoon Ragasa struck in Hong Kong.
Sarah Millson, 50, told the Standard that she was stuck inside her home with her family when the typhoon hit.
“It’s quite worrying because you never know what will fly off someone’s roof and that might land on your place. At some points it was quite terrifying hearing some of the noises coming from outside.
“There is a lot of flooding on this island. I know from the groups I’m on a lot of people who’ve lost WiFi and some lost electricity.
“For other people on the island who are more exposed on the hillside they probably would have had more damage than we did.”
Typhoon Ragasa: Your rights if your flight or holiday is cancelled
Wednesday 24 September 2025 23:00 , Daniel KeaneTens of thousands of passengers are likely to be stranded due to Typhoon Ragasa, with hundreds of flights grounded across east Asia, as well as many intercontinental connections to and from Europe.
Their rights depend on the airline they are travelling with, and also where their intended journey begins.
Read our article below for the key aspects.
Typhoon Ragasa: Your rights if your flight or holiday is cancelled
Trump’s aid cuts leave the Philippines more exposed to powerful cyclones
Wednesday 24 September 2025 22:00 , Daniel KeaneThe increasing frequency and intensity of tropical storms caused by the climate crisis, alongside the devastating cuts implemented by Donald Trump this year to US aid programmes funding climate resilience, is exposing the country to greater risk from storms.
The Philippines took a $104m (£77m) hit with the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), that cut representing 95 per cent of the US overseas aid programme in the country.
Read our full story below.
Typhoon Ragasa: Trump aid cuts leave the Philippines more exposed to cyclones
Pictured: An uprooted tree blocks a path in Hong Kong
Wednesday 24 September 2025 21:00 , Daniel Keane
At least ten deaths reported in Philippines
Wednesday 24 September 2025 20:00 , Daniel KeaneAt least 10 deaths from Typhoon Ragasa were reported in the northern Philippines, including seven fishermen who drowned after their boat was battered by huge waves and fierce winds and flipped over on Monday off Santa Ana in the province of Cagayan.
Five other fishermen remained missing, officials said.
Nearly 700,000 people were affected by the onslaught in the main northern Philippine region of Luzon, including 25,000 people who fled to government emergency shelters.
What is a typhoon?
Wednesday 24 September 2025 19:00 , Daniel KeaneAccording to the Met Office, a typhoon is a “rapidly rotating storm system characterised by a low-pressure centre, strong winds, and heavy rain”.
They are most common in the north-west Pacific Ocean, where they can occur all year round.
However, the main season runs from July to November.
Another typhoon reaches category 4 strength
Wednesday 24 September 2025 18:00 , Daniel KeaneRagasa isn’t the only storm intensifying in the Pacific Ocean this week. Super Typhoon Neoguri also reached category 4 equivalent strength.
Early on Sunday morning, satellite images revealed that both typhoons were very large and undergoing rapid intensification.
People clear debris after Typhoon Ragasa in Hualien, Taiwan
Wednesday 24 September 2025 17:00 , Daniel Keane.jpeg)
Hong Kong flights to resume after midnight
Wednesday 24 September 2025 15:30 , Stuti MishraFlights to and from Hong Kong will begin resuming from midnight, the airport authority has said.
The flights will be resuming after a 36-hour halt as Typhoon Ragasa battered the city with heavy rainfall, winds and sent waves crashing on promenades.
Over 140,000 passengers were affected by the cancellation of around 1,000 flights today and yesterday, the airport authority said.
Taiwan premier calls for inquiry after 14 killed in Super Typhoon Ragasa
Wednesday 24 September 2025 15:00 , Stuti Mishra
Taiwan premier Cho Jung-tai has called for an inquiry into what went wrong with evacuation orders in an eastern county where flooding from a breached mountain lake killed 14, as fresh warnings spooked residents.
Sub-tropical Taiwan, frequently hit by typhoons, normally has a well-oiled disaster mechanism that averts mass casualties by moving people out of potential danger zones quickly.
But many residents in Guangfu, an inundated town in the beauty spot of Hualien thronged by tourists, said there was insufficient warning when the lake overflowed during yesterday's torrential rains brought by Super Typhoon Ragasa.
The premier said the immediate priority was to find 129 people still missing, but questions remained.
"For the 14 who have tragically passed away, we must investigate why evacuation orders were not carried out in the designated areas," he told reporters in Guangfu.
"This is not about assigning blame, but about uncovering the truth."
The barrier lake, formed by landslides triggered by earlier heavy rain in the island's sparsely populated east, burst its banks to send a wall of water into Guangfu.
Drone footage shows buildings and fields submerged in Taiwan
Wednesday 24 September 2025 14:15 , Stuti Mishra
Photos: Hong Kong residents venture out to find trees down, fresh flooding still breaking out
Wednesday 24 September 2025 13:30 , Stuti Mishra
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Death toll rises to 17 in Taiwan
Wednesday 24 September 2025 13:00 , Stuti MishraThe death toll from floods in the town of Guangfu has increased to 17, officials said. The number of missing was also updated earlier to 17 from over 120 as rescuers continued to work through the heavy rains and flooding to find people.
Meanwhile, the death toll from flooding and landslides in the Philippines has also increased to 10.
Drone video shows collapsed Taiwan bridge after Typhoon Ragasa devastates East Asia
Wednesday 24 September 2025 12:30 , Stuti Mishra
Drone video shows collapsed Taiwan bridge after Typhoon Ragasa devastates East Asia
Hong Kong flights to resume after midnight
Wednesday 24 September 2025 12:00 , Stuti MishraFlights to and from Hong Kong will begin resuming from midnight, the airport authority has said.
The flights will be resuming after a 36-hour halt as Typhoon Ragasa battered the city with heavy rainfall, winds and sent waves crashing on promenades.
Over 140,000 passengers were affected by the cancellation of around 1,000 flights today and yesterday, the airport authority said.
Photos: Ragasa lashes Macau with heavy rainfall
Wednesday 24 September 2025 11:30 , Stuti Mishra
Photos: Residents clear mud in Hualien
Wednesday 24 September 2025 11:19 , Stuti Mishra
Mother and son critical after being swept into sea during Typhoon Ragasa
Wednesday 24 September 2025 10:38 , Stuti MishraA Hong Kong mother and her five-year-old son are in critical condition after they were swept into the sea while wave-watching during Typhoon Ragasa, authorities said.
The pair were pulled from the water unconscious in Chai Wan on Tuesday afternoon, when the No 8 typhoon signal was in force, and taken to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, the Information Services Department told Hong Kong Free Press.
The woman’s husband, 40, jumped in to try to rescue them and was later admitted in serious condition, officials said. Police said the family had been watching waves at the waterfront when they were dragged into the sea.
Ragasa, the strongest storm of the year, brought Hong Kong to a standstill on Wednesday as the Observatory raised its highest T10 signal overnight, warning of hurricane-force winds and dangerous storm surges that battered coastal districts such as Heng Fa Chuen and Tseung Kwan O.
Typhoon Ragasa makes landfall in China
Wednesday 24 September 2025 10:29 , Stuti MishraTyphoon Ragasa has made landfall close to Yangjiang in southern China, crossing the mainland coast at around 5pm local time (9am GMT) with sustained winds of 144kmph.
At the time of landfall Ragasa is no longer a super typhoon, having slowly weakened since it moved into waters off Guangdong.
The Hong Kong Observatory downgraded it from a super typhoon to severe typhoon earlier, with sustained winds of about 175kmph near the centre.
Despite losing some of its strength, it is still capable of bringing down trees and power lines, shattering windows and damaging buildings.
The storm will continue moving inland and its intensity will decrease but rainfall is expected to last for a few days.
China issues highest red alert ahead of landfall
Wednesday 24 September 2025 10:20 , Stuti MishraChina's marine authority has issued its highest "red" wave warning for the first time this year, forecasting storm surges of up to 2.8 metres (9 feet) in parts of Guangdong province, as Ragasa is about to make landfall at the densely populated Pearl River Delta.
Hong Kong's airlines evacuate planes as they wait out Typhoon Ragasa
Wednesday 24 September 2025 10:05 , Stuti MishraHong Kong’s airlines have moved most of their fleets out of the city to avoid damage from Super Typhoon Ragasa, Reuters reported.
About 80 per cent of aircraft belonging to the territory’s four main carriers have been relocated to airports in Japan, China, Cambodia, Europe and Australia, according to Flightradar24 tracking data. The Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre said the majority of private jets had also left ahead of the storm.
Earlier, passengers were stuck at the airport as hundreds of flights were cancelled. Cathay Pacific cancelled more than 500 flights and said it was “positioning some of our aircraft away from Hong Kong” with a gradual resumption expected from Thursday into Friday. Greater Bay Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines confirmed they had also sent planes to other airports as a precaution.
Taiwan death toll rises to 15 as number of missing falls
Wednesday 24 September 2025 09:36 , Adam WithnallTaiwan’s authorities say 15 people have been confirmed dead after a lake burst and sent a wall of water through the town of Guangfu during Super Typhoon Ragasa, revising the death toll up by one.
The fire department revised down the number of people missing after the typhoon in Guangfu, however, from more than 150 to just 17.
Video shows water bursting through glass doors at Hong Kong resort
Wednesday 24 September 2025 09:35 , Stuti MishraThis happened at the Fullerton Hotel Ocean Park in Hong Kong a couple hours ago. I have never seen anything like this before.
— Eric Yeung 👍🚀🌕 (@KingKong9888) September 24, 2025
I was up at 4 am taping my windows because water was just pouring in…
Ragasa is indeed a super Typhoon 🌀… pic.twitter.com/O59FJbGLsE
Fresh flood fears in Taiwan town devastated by lake burst
Wednesday 24 September 2025 09:10 , Stuti MishraSirens rang out in Guangfu on Wednesday as police warned of fresh flooding in the eastern Taiwan town devastated earlier when a barrier lake burst.
Authorities said much of the lake’s water had already been released and heavy rain was easing, but fears remained.
“We will not return until the overflow is finished or the risk of it bursting is reduced. It’s too dangerous,” said a woman surnamed Tsai from an elementary school shelter told Reuters news agency.
The deluge has already swept away a major bridge and left cars and scooters strewn across muddy streets. About 5,200 people, 60 per cent of the town’s population, sheltered on upper floors of their homes, while others left to stay with relatives.
The government said the lake released about 60 million tonnes of water, the equivalent of 36,000 Olympic-sized pools. Soldiers have been distributing supplies door-to-door in armoured vehicles as rescuers continue to search.
Photos: Roads submerged and bridge collapsed in Taiwan
Wednesday 24 September 2025 08:50 , Stuti Mishra
Hong Kong issues rare maximum-level storm warning
Wednesday 24 September 2025 08:30 , Stuti MishraThe Hong Kong Observatory increased its storm warning this morning from No 8 to No 10, its highest, as hurricane force winds and tall waves lashed the city.
The warning meant people were supposed to stay inside away from windows and doors and remain in place "until the danger is over".
Maximum gusts of 206kmph were reported at Ngong Ping plateau, a top tourist destination, while the observatory expected winds of up to 189kmph elsewhere.
The eye of the storm has now passed to the west beyond Hong Kong's coast and the impacts of the storm are dying down there, though flight disruptions are expected to continue until at least Thursday morning.
Photos: Super Typhoon Ragasa leaves trail of destruction in Hong Kong
Wednesday 24 September 2025 08:10 , Stuti Mishra
China evacuates 1.9 million in Guangdong province
Wednesday 24 September 2025 07:17 , Stuti MishraChina has evacuated 1.9 million people so far in Guangdong province, local authorities say.
The province is an economic powerhouse and home to more than 125 million people.
The national weather agency forecast the super typhoon would make landfall between the cities of Yangjiang and Zhanjiang this evening.
Schools, factories and transit services were suspended in about a dozen cities.
Taiwan premier calls for inquiry after 14 killed in Super Typhoon Ragasa
Wednesday 24 September 2025 07:10 , Stuti MishraTaiwan premier Cho Jung-tai has called for an inquiry into what went wrong with evacuation orders in an eastern county where flooding from a breached mountain lake killed 14, as fresh warnings spooked residents.
Sub-tropical Taiwan, frequently hit by typhoons, normally has a well-oiled disaster mechanism that averts mass casualties by moving people out of potential danger zones quickly.
But many residents in Guangfu, an inundated town in the beauty spot of Hualien thronged by tourists, said there was insufficient warning when the lake overflowed during yesterday's torrential rains brought by Super Typhoon Ragasa.
The premier said the immediate priority was to find 129 people still missing, but questions remained.
"For the 14 who have tragically passed away, we must investigate why evacuation orders were not carried out in the designated areas," he told reporters in Guangfu.
"This is not about assigning blame, but about uncovering the truth."
The barrier lake, formed by landslides triggered by earlier heavy rain in the island's sparsely populated east, burst its banks to send a wall of water into Guangfu.
Mapped: Super Typhoon Ragasa path
Wednesday 24 September 2025 06:45 , Stuti MishraSuper Typhoon Ragasa is nearing the Chinese coast after battering Taiwan and the Philippines, as it continues to maintain its monstrous strength.
The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 200kmph and gusts of up to 250kmph early this morning, according to the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
The storm’s eye was located about 130km south-southwest of Hong Kong as it continued its churn along the southern Chinese coastline at 17kmph.
Forecasts suggest Ragasa will weaken gradually as it heads west towards the coast but gale- to storm-force winds are expected to persist through the day.
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Taiwan military sends 340 soldiers to join rescue efforts
Wednesday 24 September 2025 06:20 , Stuti MishraRegions across Taiwan have dispatched rescue teams to Hualien, with the military sending 340 troops to help.
In Guangfu, soldiers operating from an armoured personnel carrier to avoid the thick mud on the streets went door-to-door handing out water and instant noodles.
Resources were insufficient to help relocate those with disabilities, said Lamen Panay, a Hualien councillor, who added that government evacuation requests before the flood had not been mandatory.
"When warnings were issued, the central and local government said people could evacuate vertically, but what we were facing wasn't something 'vertical evacuation' could resolve," she said, referring to guidance for people to head to higher floors.
Photos: Waves as tall as lampposts lash promenades in Hong Kong
Wednesday 24 September 2025 06:00 , Stuti Mishra
Satellite animation shows Super Typhoon Ragasa nearing Guangdong
Wednesday 24 September 2025 05:39 , Stuti MishraPowerful Typhoon #Ragasa nears the coast of Guangdong, China overnight with winds of 215 km/h (130 mph). pic.twitter.com/Ph8Gy2ibjI
— Zoom Earth (@zoom_earth) September 23, 2025
Over half of people in Taiwan's Guangfu in shelters
Wednesday 24 September 2025 05:18 , Stuti MishraIn Guangfu, the Taiwanese town where the lake burst killing 14 people, some 5,200 people or nearly 60 per cent of the population had been told to seek shelter – either on the upper floors of their homes or to the homes of friends and relatives.
Soldiers in armoured carriers delivered water and food as streets became choked with mud.
Councillor Lamen Panay criticised the evacuation orders, saying that advice to “evacuate vertically” was not enough to withstand such a surge.
The water hit like a 'tsunami'
Wednesday 24 September 2025 04:54 , Stuti MishraA barrier lake in Taiwan’s mountainous east burst its banks during Super Typhoon Ragasa, sending a wall of water through Guangfu township.
The lake had formed after days of landslides triggered by torrential rain. When it overflowed on yesterday afternoon, an estimated 60 million tonnes of water tore through homes, vehicles and bridges in Hualien county.
The water hit like a "tsunami,” a local postman Hsieh, who fled to the second floor of his post office as floodwaters surged, told Reuters news agency. Later, he got home to find his car had been swept into the living-room.
Entire villages were left cut off. At least 14 people have died and 124 are missing, officials said.
At least 14 killed as lake bursts in Taiwan
Wednesday 24 September 2025 04:05 , Stuti MishraAt least 14 people have been killed and 124 remain missing after a barrier lake in Taiwan burst its banks following torrential rains from Super Typhoon Ragasa, officials said.
The lake, formed by landslides in Hualien county after downpours, sent a wall of water crashing into Guangfu township yesterday.
“As of 7am Wednesday, 14 people are confirmed dead and 18 were reported injured,” Lee Kuan-ting, a county press official, said.
Taiwan’s fire department said search teams were still trying to locate 124 missing residents.
The outer rim of Ragasa has battered Taiwan since Monday, while the storm also killed at least three people in the northern Philippines and forced thousands into evacuation shelters.
Nasa astronaut shares images of super typhoon from space
Wednesday 24 September 2025 01:00 , Taz AliViolent Typhoon Ragasa and Neoguri from the International @Space_Station. Sept 21, 2025 0437 GMT. Nikon Z9 | 24/50-500mm.
— Jonny Kim (@JonnyKimUSA) September 23, 2025
From orbit, the view is breathtaking, but on the ground, this storm brings real danger and hardship. Thoughts are with everyone in its path, and with the… pic.twitter.com/PESFnPhYIC
