China Focus: South China goes all out, bracing for super typhoon Ragasa

A staff member trims trees in case of danger in Shenzhen, south China, Sept. 22, 2025. Shenzhen has activated emergency responses and taken various measures to battle Typhoon Ragasa. (Photo by Zhong Zijie/Xinhua)

GUANGZHOU, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Bracing for the imminent super strong typhoon Ragasa, south China's coastal regions, particularly the densely populated Pearl River Delta, have suspended train and ferry services, closed schools and reinforced road facilities to ensure the safety of local residents.

Ragasa, the 18th named storm of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season, intensified into a super typhoon on Sunday, and is forecast to likely make landfall along the central or western coastal areas of Guangdong Province on Wednesday. Meteorologists have warned that Ragasa is moving rapidly while maintaining its strength, making it the most powerful typhoon to hit China this year.

Impacted by the typhoon, the northern area of the South China Sea and the coastal areas of southern China will be battered by strong winds and heavy rains from Tuesday through Friday. Some regions in eastern Jiangsu and Anhui provinces will also experience heavy rainfall due to the typhoon's influence, according to the National Meteorological Center.

China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Monday activated a Level-IV emergency response in Guangdong, Hainan and Fujian, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

Guangdong on Monday raised its wind emergency response to Level II, with multiple cities announcing a series of suspension measures. The Level II response, the second-highest in China's four-tier warning system, was activated at 10 a.m. on Monday.

Schools will be closed, and work, production, public transport and business operations will be suspended starting Tuesday in the Pearl River Delta cities of Yangjiang, Jiangmen, Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Dongguan, according to local flood control authorities' announcements.

Shenzhen and Huizhou will also close all primary schools, secondary schools and kindergartens from Tuesday to Wednesday. Shantou will implement similar suspension measures across different areas, industries and time periods from Tuesday.

As of 6 p.m. on Monday, the operations of 121 passenger ferry routes and 393 passenger ferry ships across the province have been suspended, and 294 water-related engineering projects in affected waters, including offshore wind power projects, have been halted. Guangdong's electricity authorities have also assembled a 32,000-person emergency response team.

As of 10 a.m. Monday, the maritime safety administration of the province had relocated over 10,000 vessels to safe waters for shelter.

Affected by the typhoon, heavy rains are expected to hit eastern Guangdong, the Pearl River Delta and western Guangdong from Tuesday to Thursday, with exceptionally severe rain likely in some areas.

The Zhuhai highway port at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will suspend outbound customs clearance services from 3 p.m. on Tuesday, and the main bridge will be closed simultaneously, bridge authorities announced on Monday.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government announced on Monday that classes in all schools will be suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday. Likewise, the education authority of the Macao Special Administrative Region announced class suspension from Tuesday to Wednesday for its secondary schools, primary schools, kindergartens and special schools.

The Hong Kong International Airport will remain open during the typhoon, but many flights are expected to be affected, according to Hong Kong's airport authorities.

At 4 p.m. on Monday, the Hainan provincial committee for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief upgraded its typhoon response to a Level-IV alert for flooding and winds.

"Ro-ro" (roll-on/roll-off) passenger ship services across the Qiongzhou Strait will be suspended at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and are expected to remain suspended until Thursday, according to the Haikou maritime safety administration. At present, 15 emergency vessels are on standby to ensure any emergencies at sea are responded to and handled rapidly.

To ensure safe railway operations, China Railway Guangzhou Group Co., Ltd. has decided to gradually suspend high-speed and conventional trains within Guangdong starting from noon on Tuesday, with the scope of suspensions adjusted dynamically according to the typhoon's impact.

All high-speed and conventional trains in the province will be suspended throughout Wednesday. From the early hours of Thursday, train services will be gradually resumed as the typhoon's impact weakens.

The neighboring Fujian Province upgraded its typhoon warning to Level III at 11 a.m. Monday. The Fujian Provincial Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters also elevated its emergency typhoon response from Level IV to Level III at 11 a.m. on the same day.

Staff members lower and reinforce the street lamps in Shenzhen, south China, Sept. 22, 2025. Shenzhen has activated emergency responses and taken various measures to battle Typhoon Ragasa. (Photo by Zhong Zijie/Xinhua)

A staff member trims trees in case of danger in Shenzhen, south China, Sept. 22, 2025. Shenzhen has activated emergency responses and taken various measures to battle Typhoon Ragasa. (Photo by Zhong Zijie/Xinhua)

Staff members lower and reinforce the street lamps in Shenzhen, south China, Sept. 22, 2025. Shenzhen has activated emergency responses and taken various measures to battle Typhoon Ragasa. (Photo by Zhong Zijie/Xinhua)

Fishermen are busy unloading at a fishing port in Shishi, southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 22, 2025. Fishing boats across the province have ceased operation and returned back to fishing ports as Typhoon Ragasa is edging closer. (Photo by Yan Huajie/Xinhua)

Fishing boats are seen berthing at a fishing port in Fengwei Town of Quanzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 22, 2025. Fishing boats across the province have ceased operation and returned back to fishing ports as Typhoon Ragasa is edging closer. (Photo by Lin Hongqin/Xinhua)

Fishing boats sail to a fishing port in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, Sept. 22, 2025. Fishing boats across the province have ceased operation and returned back to fishing ports as Typhoon Ragasa is edging closer. (Photo by Zeng Demeng/Xinhua)

An aerial drone photo taken on Sept. 22, 2025 shows fishing boats berthing at a fishing port in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. Fishing boats across the province have ceased operation and returned back to fishing ports as Typhoon Ragasa is edging closer. (Photo by Zeng Demeng/Xinhua)