Thousands evacuate in Philippines as storm nears

Thousands have been evacuated in the Philippines as the nation braces for a super typhoon that has been described by regional authorities as potentially “catastrophic”.

Super typhoon Ragasa, packing 230km/h (143mph) wind gusts, is forecast to make landfall over sparsely populated northern islands on Monday, before barrelling west towards southern China.

Ragasa brings a “high risk of life-threatening storm surge” with peak heights exceeding 3m (10ft), the Philippine weather bureau said.

Schools and government offices in large parts of the country, including the capital Manila, have been shut and authorities have warned of widespread flooding and landslides and damage to homes and infrastructure.

The remote Batanes or Babuyan islands, where Ragasa is forecast to make landfall, are home to about 20,000 people, many of whom live in poverty.

The islands lie about 740km (460 miles) of Taiwan, where nearly 300 people have been evacuated from Hualien, a county in the east.

Ragasa is not expected to hit Taiwan directly but is set to drench the island’s east coast with heavy rains.

Forest areas and nature trails across southern and eastern Taiwan have been closed since early Monday, while some ferry services have also been suspended.

A super typhoon is the equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane.

Authorities in China’s Guangdong province have advised residents to prepare for “catastrophic” and “large-scale disaster”. Heavy rains and strong winds will be felt as early as Tuesday, two days before the storm is forecast to make landfall.

In Hong Kong, authorities said the weather would “deteriorate rapidly” on Tuesday, while the education bureau said it is deliberating over school arrangements.

Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific said it would cancel 500 flights departing the city from 18:00 local time tomorrow, while Hong Kong Airlines said it would stop all departures from the city.

Ragasa, known locally in the Philippines as Nando, comes as the South East Asian nation reels from weeks of widespread flooding caused by an unusually fierce monsoon.

Tens of thousands protested across the country on Sunday against corruption in government that has been blamed for a severe lack in flood control infrastructure.

Additional reporting by Martin Yip in Hong Kong