Chicago – September 22, 2025
The strongest storm of the year so far has descended on the northern Philippines with destructive winds and torrential rain, prompting evacuations of thousands of people and preparations in nearby Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China.
Typhoon Ragasa, known in the Philippines as Nando, made landfall over Panuitan Island, in the northern Cagayan province, on Monday, according to the country’s meteorological agency (PAGASA) – after generating sustained winds of over 267 kph (165 mph), the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane.
Tens of millions of people could be impacted by the storm, which is expected to pass over parts of the Asian island nation before heading toward the major cities of Hong Kong and Macau, and mainland China’s Guangdong Province.
As of Monday morning, the storm was located just over 1,000 km east-southeast of Hong Kong and moving west at roughly 23 kph (14 mph).
Even without making direct landfall in the Philippines, Ragasa’s outer bands will unleash torrential rain and destructive wind gusts of over 315 kph (195 mph). Flooding and landslides are possible in northern Luzon, where rainfall totals could exceed 400 mm (15 inches) in some spots.
