Typhoon Ragasa leaves Hong Kong after setting record for second-longest-standing top alert

Hong Kong:  The Hong Kong Observatory has downgraded the warning level for super typhoon Ragasa and issued the No. 3 Strong Wind Signal as it moved further away from Hong Kong.

Ragasa triggered the hurricane signal No. 10, the highest alert, at 2:40 a.m. on Wednesday (local time) as the typhoon was approaching Hong Kong. The top warning stayed in effect for 10 hours and 40 minutes, the second-longest duration in the city’s recorded history.

The closest Ragasa ever got to Hong Kong was 120 km south of it on Wednesday morning, when Ragasa roared by with a wind speed of 195 km per hour near its centre, compared to super typhoon Mangkhut’s 175 km per hour in 2018, reports Xinhua news agency.

Ragasa lashed Hong Kong with storms and hurricane-force winds on par with those packed by super typhoon Saola in 2023 and typhoon Wipha in July, but they paled in comparison to those brought by Mangkhut.

Torrential rains battered the city, which had recorded up to 200 mm of rainfall from midnight Tuesday to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the observatory.

Storm surge caused by Ragasa elevated the water level at the Victoria Harbour to around 3.4 meters above the Chart Datum. Waves crashed on the shores and caused waterlogging.

As Ragasa took its toll, around 100 residents had sought emergency treatment at public hospitals for injuries sustained during the storms by 8 p.m.

By 5 p.m., the Fire Services Department of the government had responded to 393 cases of snapped trees and one case of mudslide and relocated 61 residents trapped by waterlogging.

Public transportation services are being restored across Hong Kong as winds taper.

Hong Kong government’s Chief Executive John Lee said the government will work around the clock to repair damaged roads and amenities at residential communities so as not to disrupt the morning commute for most residents on Thursday. He urged Hong Kong people to stay mindful of the unpleasant weather that is likely to extend.

–IANS