Super typhoon hits Philippines as thousands evacuate
THOUSANDS have been evacuated in the Philippines as a super typhoon, described by regional authorities as potentially "catastrophic", makes landfall in the country's northern region, reports the BBC.
Super typhoon Ragasa, packing 230km/h (143mph) wind gusts, made landfall over Panuitan Island, in the Philippines' northern Cagayan province, on 15:00 local time (08:00 GMT) Monday, the country's weather authority said. It is expected to barrel west towards southern China.
Ragasa brings a "high risk of life-threatening storm surge" with peak heights exceeding 3m (10ft), the Philippine weather bureau said.
Authorities have warned of widespread flooding and landslides and damage to homes and infrastructure.
A map showing the projected path of Super typhoon Ragasa across East and Southeast Asia.
The path is marked with coloured dots showing it moves from being a Super typhoon to a Severe tropical storm.
The storm starts east of Taiwan, moves westward near Hong Kong, and heads toward Hanoi, Vietnam. Key timestamps are labelled: 18:00 GMT Mon (near Taiwan), 18:00 GMT Tue (near Hong Kong), and 06:00 GMT Thu (near Hanoi)
Schools and government offices in large parts of the country, including in the capital Manila, have been shut.
The remote Batanes or Babuyan islands, where Ragasa made landfall, are home to about 20,000 people, many of whom live in poverty.
The islands lie about 740 km (460 miles) of Taiwan, where nearly 300 people have been evacuated from Hualien, a county in the east.
Ragasa is not expected to hit Taiwan directly but is set to drench the island's east coast with heavy rains.
Forest areas and nature trails across southern and eastern Taiwan have been closed since early Monday, while some ferry services have also been suspended.
A super typhoon is the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane.
Authorities in China's Guangdong province have advised residents to prepare for a "catastrophic" and "large-scale disaster". Heavy rains and strong winds would be felt as early as Tuesday, authorities said, two days before the storm is forecast to make landfall.
Authorities in the Chinese city of Shenzhen said they planned to evacuate 400,000 people ahead of the typhoon.
In Hong Kong, authorities said the weather would "deteriorate rapidly" on Tuesday, while the education bureau said it is deliberating over school arrangements.
Hong Kong's flag carrier Cathay Pacific said it would cancel 500 flights departing the city from 18:00 local time tomorrow, while Hong Kong Airlines said it would stop all departures from the city.
Ragasa, known locally in the Philippines as Nando, comes as the South East Asian nation reels from weeks of widespread flooding caused by an unusually fierce monsoon.
Tens of thousands protested across the country on Sunday against corruption in government that has been blamed for a severe lack in flood control infrastructure.
