A much weakened Tropical Storm Ragasa has pushed west along the southern Chinese coast towards Vietnam today after flooding streets and homes in the economic hub of Guangdong and causing deaths in Taiwan and the Philippines.
In parts of the Guangdong city of Yangjiang, tree branches floated on the water in submerged streets. Crews used excavators to clear thousands of toppled trees and worked to clean up blocked main roads. State broadcaster CCTV reported more than 50,000 trees were destroyed across the city, and strong wind blew down road signs.
An uprooted tree in the Ho Man Tin area of Hong Kong.Credit: AP
Streets in the city of Zhuhai turned into rivers, and rescuers used inflatable boats to rescue stranded residents. Water inundated some first-floor homes in older neighbourhoods, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported.
More than 2 million people had been relocated across Guangdong and 56,000 households were without power ahead of Ragasa, which peaked at super-typhoon strength on Tuesday with maximum sustained wind gusts of 265km/h, making it the world’s strongest cyclone this year.
By this morning, its sustained wind had weakened to a maximum 65km/h, and Ragasa was forecast to dissipate while remaining a rain threat for Vietnam and other parts of South-East Asia.
Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính ordered government ministries and local authorities to protect infrastructure like dams and hospitals, secure fishing vessels and coastal assets, and ready evacuation and search and rescue operations. Some flights were cancelled or rescheduled, and workers trimmed trees to avoid wind hazards in the northern part of the country.
Flights in Hong Kong resumed after about 1000 had been disrupted, affecting about 140,000 passengers.
In Taiwan, authorities revised the death toll from 17 to 14 due to repeated records. The victims were in eastern Hualien County, where heavy rain caused a barrier lake to overflow, sending water gushing into nearby Guangfu township.
In the Philippines, Ragasa left at least 11 people dead, including seven fishermen who drowned on Monday when their boat overturned in northern Cagayan province. Two fishermen remained missing today.
AP