Super typhoon Ragasa targets Hong Kong, China after deadly Philippines landfall

A super typhoon named Ragasa is heading toward Hong Kong, China and Taiwan after wreaking havoc in the Philippines.

The typhoon left three dead and forced thousands to evacuate and now Hong Kong is bracing for extreme weather conditions.

Super typhoon Ragasa has already been declared as a “serious threat” by city officials prompting warnings that it could prove one of the worst storms in the city's recent history.

Erin Chan, a city official from Hong Kong said, “Ragasa will pose a serious threat to Hong Kong, which could reach the levels of Hato in 2017 and Mangkhut in 2018.”

The airport will remain open, however, officials have warned to expect serious flight disruptions as typhoon Ragasa with maximum sustained winds of 220km/h is set to hit the city.

The typhoon signal might be raised to eight, the third-highest signal, by the city’s forecasters who predict that weather will deteriorate later on Tuesday, September 23.

Aljazeera reports that raising the typhoon signal will result in shutting down a lot of business and transportation, adding, “More than 500 Cathay Pacific flights are expected to be cancelled.”

As Taiwan authorities expect heavy rains and winds, the city of Shenzhen in southern China is also bracing for heavy impacts from the typhoon.

Ragasa will make landfall on Wednesday between Shenzhen city and Xuwen county as per China’s National Meteorological Center.