MANILA, Philippines (AP) – Thousands of people have evacuated villages in the northern Philippines, with schools and offices closed on Monday in the archipelago and neighboring Taiwan, threatening to cause floods and landslides heading towards southeastern China as one of the most powerful typhoons of the year.
Supertailon’s Ragatha maintains winds of 215 km/h (134 mph) and is gusts up to 265 kph (165 mph) and is located east of the island town off the coast of Cagayan Province, said Philippine Foakester. It is heading west at 20 kph (12 mph) and may approach or land on Cagayan’s Babuyan Islands by noon or early afternoon on Monday.
Check out a live view from Taiwan, Taiwan, as Typhoon Ragasa brings heavy rain and strong winds to the southern part of the island.
The Philippine weather agency warned of coastal flooding, saying “there is a high risk of life-threatening storm surges that span the northern shores of Cagayan, Batan, Batan, Batan, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Sur within the next 24 hours, with peak heights exceeding three meters (nearly 10 feet) within the next 24 hours.”
Disaster reaction authorities said power was knocked out across Karajan Island, west of Cagayan and Apayao Island in western Cagayan. There were no immediate reports of victims known as Nando or further damages from Ragatha locally.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended government work and class at all levels in the capital and halted 29 provinces in the main northern Luzon region.
Over 8,200 people were safely evacuated in Cagayan, while 1,220 fled to the emergency shelter in Apayao. Firefly and Landslide. Domestic flights were suspended in northern states, typhoons and fishing boats hit, and island ferries were banned from leaving the port due to the extremely rough seas.
Ragatha, the 14th weather obstruction that massacres the Philippines this year, has come while authorities and both legislatures are investigating Corruption scandal Includes kickbacks suspected of causing substandard or non-existent flood control projects.
The typhoon is projected to remain in the South China Sea at least on Wednesday, passing south of Taiwan and Hong Kong before landing in mainland China.
Taiwan’s southern Taiwan and Ping Tung counties ordered closures not only on several coastal and mountainous regions, but also on Orchid Island and green islands.
The typhoon is set to wipe out the south of Hong Kong and Macau. Some Hong Kong residents have begun raising extra food. According to the government, flood-prone areas in Hong Kong are more than twice as many sandbags as they normally do. Macau police urged people living in lowlands to prepare for possible evacuation.
Ragatha is expected to bring torrential rains and strong winds on coastal areas of mainland China starting Tuesday. The cities of jiangmen, Yangjiang, Zhongshan and Zhuhai in southern Guangdong Province have ordered the suspension of schools, offices, factories and means of transportation. The typhoon could make multiple landfalls in Guangdong Province, China’s weather agency said. Authorities urged residents to stockpile emergency supplies, strengthen doors and windows, and evacuate underground areas.
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Taiwan, Taiwan, AP journalist Simina Mistreanu and Hong Kong’s Kanis Leung contributed to this report.
