China plans evacuations as Typhoon Ragasa barrels through Philippines

Before Typhoon Ragasa, which has swept through northern Philippines at a speed of 215 km/h (134 mph), China has begun making preparations to evacuate 400, 000 people from Shenzhen.

According to Philippine forecasters, Super Typhoon Ragasa made landfall on Monday in Calayan province of the Philippines at 3 p.m. (07:00 GMT). In Cagayan, more than 8,200 people were forced to flee to safety, and 1,220 did so in Apayao province.

Super typhoons are tropical cyclones that travel at a sustained speed of 215 km/h (134 mph) or higher in the western Pacific.

The weather agency for the Philippines warned that “the low-lying or exposed coastal localities” of the northern provinces of Cagayan, Batanes, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur are at a high risk of a life-threatening storm surge with peak heights exceeding 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) within the next 24 hours.

In the capital and 29 provinces in the northern Luzon region, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended government activities and education.

Ragasa is the 14th weather event to strike the Philippines this year as it prepares to face anti-corruption protests linked to ghost flood control projects.

The typhoon will pass south of Taiwan and Hong Kong before making its way to the Chinese mainland, where it is anticipated to move westward and remain in the South China Sea until at least until Wednesday.

Warnings for the sea and land

Authorities in southern provinces have begun a flood control program and issued warnings for heavy rain starting on Tuesday night.

Authorities in Shenzhen, China, announced on Sunday night that they were moving hundreds of thousands of people from coastal and low-lying areas before the typhoon hits them.

Due to heavy rain and strong winds, other Guangdong province cities announced the suspension of classes, employment, and public transportation.

Additionally, Taiwan has canceled 146 domestic flights, issued land and sea warnings, and evacuated more than 900 people from mountainous southern and eastern regions.