Ferocious winds and driving rain are pummeling Macao as Super Typhoon Ragasa – the most powerful storm to have formed anywhere in the world this year – passes worryingly close to Macao after battering the northern Philippines and Taiwan.
Packing sustained wind speeds of 220 km/h, Ragasa will skirt Macao within a distance of 100 kilometres and make landfall on the west coast of Guangdong later today.
The Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (known by the Portuguese initials SMG) is warning of hurricane-force winds, heavy rain and flooding. Residents should shelter in place and call 999, 110 or 112 in the event of an emergency.
More information about what to do in the event of a typhoon can be found in Macao News’ Ultimate Macao Typhoon Survival Guide.
10:58 am Water levels rising rapidly across low-lying areas
Water levels are swelling quickly in Macao’s low-lying districts, with official data revealing that the Inner Harbour measuring station had a reading of 1.31 metres at 10:48 am. Meanwhile, the readings at Praça de Ponte e Horta and Largo do Pagode do Bazar were 0.98 metres and 0.94 metres respectively.
As a result of the severe flooding, buildings in these low-lying areas have had their power temporarily cut off.
Parts of Taipa, such as Rotunda Ouvidor Arriaga, have also experienced flooding, according to local reports. Meanwhile, Coloane’s Rua dos Hortelãos and the area around the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier have been hit with water levels of 0.84 metres.
10:40 am: Rough seas seen from Taipa shoreline
A resident of Ocean Gardens sends this image taken from their apartment window of churning waters just off the northwest Taipa shoreline.
Trees can be seen bending in Ragasa’s gale-force winds, while Macau Tower and the peninsula are only faintly visible through the driving rain.
10:30 am: GBA cities shut down as Ragasa rages
According to Guangdong Emergency Management, 16 cities across Guangdong province have shut down normal operations, including schools, businesses and work.
Some of the major cities include Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan and Jiangmen. In preparation for Ragasa’s arrival, Shenzhen evacuated some 400,000 people living in low-lying and coastal areas, as well as temporary shelters.
Evacuations have also taken place in Zhuhai, where authorities have confirmed that they have relocated residents living on the top floors of high rise buildings situated on Lover’s Road – an area that directly faces the sea.
Guangdong authorities remind residents to avoid venturing outdoors. In case of local emergencies, call 110, 119, 120 or 12345.
10:03 am: Over 2,400 evacuated
The commander of the Civil Protection Operations Centre, Wong Sio Chak, said the authorities had evacuated 2,439 people from 7,905 households as of 5 pm yesterday. Another 78 households, comprising 230 individuals, refused to be evacuated.
As of 10 am, a total of 640 people had made use of the government’s emergency shelters, according to the latest bulletin.
9:57 am: Fish are swimming down Inner Harbour Streets
Macao News’ Kenny Fong sends this photo from Rua do Dr. Lourenço Pereira Marques of a man catching a fish on the road a short while ago. It isn’t clear whether the fish is an escapee from a tank or one that swam in on a storm surge.
Images taken at the same location show that the flooding hasn’t started in earnest, but authorities are taking no chances.
9:43 am: CEM will cut power to low-lying areas soon
This advisory has been posted to the Typhoon and Civil Defense Information account on Facebook:
“According to Macau Electricity Company Limited (CEM), water levels continue to rise due to the typhoon and storm surge. To ensure public safety and protect power supply facilities, power outages may occur in low-lying areas over the next 1 to 2 hours. The affected areas primarily include the Inner Harbour, Praça de Ponte e Horta, A-Ma Temple, Rua da Praia do Manduco and Patane. CEM will continue to monitor the situation and provide the public with the latest information on power outages as appropriate. Please pay close attention and prepare in advance.”
If you’re in one of the affected areas, this would be a good time to charge your mobile phone, so you can keep abreast of typhoon news even after the power outage.
9:25 am: Current position of Super Typhoon Ragasa
At 9 am, Super Typhoon Ragasa was estimated to be about 100 kilometres south of Macao and forecast to move west-northwest at around 20 km/h. It will gradually edge closer to Macao in the next hour or two before veering off to the west Guangdong coast.
On its present track, it looks to be making landfall somewhere near Yangjiang, a city of about 2.7 million people about 195 kilometres from Macao.
9:23 am: A reminder that the Sai Van Bridge lower deck is closed
The enclosed lower deck of the Sai Van Bridge – normally the only conduit between the peninsula and Taipa during severe weather – has closed with the no. 10 typhoon signal in force. This means that Taipa and Coloane are effectively cut off from the rest of the city.
8:35 am: Buildings sway as Ragasa pounds neighbouring Hong Kong
High rise dwellers in Hong Kong – about 60 kilometres from Macao have reported swaying buildings as Ragasa’s fierce winds pummel the city. “My flat is shaking,” according to one Facebook user quoted by the South China Morning Post.
Others have been unsettled by the howling gales. “It is terrifying. In all my years living here, I’ve never felt this scared … my palms are literally sweating,” said one resident of the city’s northern suburbs.
Macao’s neighbouring SAR has issued a flood warning, with sea levels and water in local rivers rising sharply.
8:15 am: Casinos deserted amid fifth full shutdown
Local authorities ordered all casinos in Macao to close at 5 pm last night in preparation for Ragasa’s arrival.
Asia Gaming Brief notes that this is the fifth full shutdown of casinos in the city’s history. The first took place for 33 hours during the passage of Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018. Other closures followed during the Covid-19 pandemic, when gambling halls casinos were shut for 15 days in February 2020 and one week in July 2022. Typhoon Saola (2023) led to a nine-hour closure.
8:04 am: Shelter in place and stay away from windows
A Civil Protection bulletin has appealed to residents and visitors to “stay away from windows and not go outside.”
Officials warn that “Wind speeds are expected to increase rapidly, potentially reaching hurricane force 12 or above. Water levels are also beginning to rise gradually. All residents and tourists are urged to heighten their vigilance, not to go outside, and remain indoors in a safe place.”
The communique advises that “There is a risk of windows shattering due to strong winds; stay away from windows.”
7:50 am: Hundreds are seeking shelter in public refuges
According to government figures, there are currently 579 people waiting out the storm in Macao’s public shelters.
If you need to seek refuge, the Macao government runs four emergency shelters during typhoons.
On the Macao peninsula, residents can go to the Ilha Verde Refuge Centre or the Macao Federation of Trade Unions Workers Stadium (by the Praça das Portas do Cerco).
People in Taipa can go to the Taipa branch of the Taipa and Coloane Social Service Centre, while those in Coloane can visit the Academy of Public Security Forces.
7:30 am: The no. 10 typhoon signal is in effect
Welcome to our live coverage of Super Typhoon Ragasa as it passes close to Macao.
The no. 10 typhoon signal was hoisted by the SMG at 5:30 am and is expected to remain in effect for some time. This is the highest signal in Macao’s warning system and means that a cyclone is striking at the immediate approaches of Macao. Winds with sustained speeds exceeding 118 km/h are blowing, accompanied by gusts of great intensity.
A red storm surge warning is also in force. Flooding of up to 2.5 metres above street level is expected will occur in low-lying areas, peaking between 10 am and 2 pm. Forecasters advise that there is a “medium” chance of a black warning, which means flooding could exceed 2.5 metres.
At 7 am, Super Typhoon Ragasa was estimated to be about 120 kilometres south-southeast of Macao and is forecast to move west-northwest at around 20 km/h towards the western coast of the Pearl River Estuary.
