Typhoon Ragasa bears down on mainland China after killing 15 in Taiwan

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Super Typhoon Ragasa, the world's most powerful tropical cyclone this year, lashed Hong Kong with hurricane-force winds and torrential rain on Wednesday (September 24) as the city shut down and more than 700 flights were cancelled.

(7427-ASIA-WEATHER/HONGKONG-MORNING)

HONG KONG, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 23, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. (MUTE) HONG KONG SKYLINE

2. WAVES FROM TYPHOON AS SEEN FROM VICTORIA HARBOUR AREA

3. ROADS AROUND VICTORIA HARBOUR AND SKYLINE

4. VEHICLE DRIVING IN STREET AND LIGHT POST MOVING DUE TO RAIN

5. WAVES FROM TYPHOON AS SEEN FROM VICTORIA HARBOUR

Ragasa lashed China’s tech hub of Shenzhen on Wednesday morning. Residents were urged to stay indoors, and public transportation was suspended.

(7436-ASIA-WEATHER/SHENZHEN)

SHENZHEN, GUANGDONG PROVINCE, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) (REUTERS - Access All)

6. BLOWN OVER TREE BRANCH

7. BLOWN OVER BICYCLES

8. HEAVY WIND AND RAIN OVER COMMERCIAL DISTRICT

9. BANNER ON SIDE OF BUILDING FLAPPING IN WIND

10. PEDESTRIAN CROSSING ROAD WITH UMBRELLA

11. VARIOUS OF CLOUDS MOVING QUICKLY

Footage shot from indoors in Hong Kong showed strong wind and rain blowing off tree branches as the typhoon edged close to the city in the early morning. Large waves were also seen crashing against the shore in Lantau Island, home to the city's international airport.

(7440-ASIA-WEATHER/HONG KONG-MORNING-UPDATE)

HONG KONG, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

12. TREE BRANCHES BEING BLOWN BY STRONG WIND OF SUPER TYPHOON RAGASA IN HONG KONG'S SHATIN DISTRICT

13. HILLSIDE IN SHATIN

14. STRONG WIND AND RAIN SEEN FROM A HOTEL LOBBY IN HONG KONG'S EASTERN DISTRICT

15. TREE BENT AMIDST STRONG WIND

LANTAU ISLAND, HONG KONG, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

16. WAVES CRASHING AGAINST SHORE / TREES SWAYING IN STRONG WINDS

Shenzhen also opened 865 shelters, with a sports centre accommodating construction workers from 11 nearby worksites, according to local media.

(7447-ASIA-WEATHER/CHINA)

SHENZHEN, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) (PHOENIX TV - No use Hong Kong / Must on-screen courtesy “Phoenix TV”)

17. GLASS PANELS WITH TAPE

18. SOLDIER TAPING GLASS WINDOW OF SECURITY BOOTH

19. TENTS INSIDE TEMPORARY SHELTER

20. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN SHELTER

21. MAN GETTING HIS BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKED

22. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE RESTING IN SHELTER

23. PEOPLE WALKING IN AND OUT OF SHELTER

Massive waves hammered the Hong Kong coastline. Eyewitness video showed powerful waves pounding against barriers and rocks along the coastline at Tseung Kwan O New Town, lined with dozens of tall buildings.

(7476-ASIA-WEATHER/HONGKONG-UGC)

HONG KONG, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) (ANDRE LANGE - No resale / Must on-screen courtesy Andre Lange)

24. VARIOUS OF HUGE WAVES SLAMMING INTO ROCKS NEAR BUILDINGS ALONG COASTLINE IN TSEUNG KWAN O NEW TOWN

Eyewitness footage showed heavy flooding in the streets of Macau as the gambling hub neighbouring Hong Kong experienced severe weather from Ragasa.

(7482-ASIA-WEATHER/MACAU-UGC)

MACAU, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS - No resales/No Archives)

25. BUILDINGS AMID SEVERELY FLOODED STREETS

Hong Kong issued the typhoon signal 10, its highest warning, early on Wednesday, which urges businesses and transport services to shut down.

(7481-ASIA-WEATHER/HONGKONG-UGC2)

HONG KONG, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS - No resale / No archive)

26. STRONG WINDS AND RAIN SWEEPING THROUGH HEAVILY FLOODED STREET / BROKEN TREE BRANCHES STREWN ACROSS ROAD

27. BROKEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEBRIS ON HEAVILY FLOODED STREET

28. (SHOT IN PORTRAIT) STRONG WINDS AND RAIN SWEEPING THROUGH HEAVILY FLOODED STREET

Residents in Taiwan’s eastern town of Guangfu waded through ankle-deep mud and damaged homes a day after a barrier lake overflowed to deluge the township in Taiwan's eastern county of Hualien.

(7451-ASIA-WEATHER/TAIWAN)

GUANGFU TOWNSHIP, HUALIEN COUNTY, TAIWAN (SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

29. PEOPLE WALKING IN MUDDY FRONT YARD OF RESIDENCE

30. SCOOTER FALLEN IN MUD

31. PEOPLE STANDING AT DOORWAY OF MUD-COVERED ICE SHOP

32. FEET IN ANKLE-DEEP MUD

33. (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHENG TUNG-CHENG, ICE SHOP OWNER, 72, SAYING:

“The government told us to evacuate vertically. Just to stay on the second or third floor for (those of us) who were not directly in the path of the water.”

34. MILITARY VEHICLE AND SOLDIERS IN MUDDY STREET

35. VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS DELIVERING AID TO RESIDENTS

36. (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) HSIEH CHIEN-TUNG, 60, POSTMAN, SAYING:

“I was downstairs when it (the flood) happened as I was going to pull down the iron overhead door. The water came over right after I secured the overhead door. It was really fast. (REPORTER: “Did the police come over and play the broadcast?”) I didn’t hear it. But heard water and then ran back inside right away.”

As heavy rain continued on and off in Taiwan's eastern county of Hualien, police cars sounded sirens for a new flood warning in Guangfu, sending people scrambling for safer areas.

(7468-ASIA-WEATHER/TAIWAN-SIREN)

GUANGFU TOWNSHIP, HUALIEN COUNTY, TAIWAN (SEPTEMBER 24, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

37. POINT-OF-VIEW DRIVING PAST SHOPS FILLED WITH MUD AND FLOODWATER

38. POINT-OF-VIEW DRIVING PAST WRECKED CAR ALONG MUDDY ROAD / SIREN RINGING

39. POINT-OF-VIEW DRIVING TOWARD AMBULANCE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON MUDDY ROAD / SIREN RINGING

40. VARIOUS OF MILITARY TRANSPORT VEHICLE CARRYING SOLDIERS DRIVING ON ROAD / SIREN RINGING

Residents in a Taiwan town where flooding from a typhoon killed 15 people sought shelter at an elementary school auditorium, fearing further disaster after a lake burst its banks.

(7484-ASIA-WEATHER/TAIWAN-SHELTER)

GUANGFU TOWNSHIP, HUALIEN COUNTY, TAIWAN (SEPTEMBER 23, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

41. PEOPLE UNLOADING RESOURCES FROM PICKUP TRUCK AT DAJIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EVACUATION SHELTER

42. PERSON PASSING STACKS OF RESOURCES AND EVACUEES

43. PEOPLE TALKING IN FRONT OF STACKS OF RESOURCES

44. PEOPLE SITTING IN LINE TO GET HELP FROM GOVERNMENT KIOSK

45. (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) MS TSAI (FIRST NAME NOT GIVEN), 48, SAYING:

“So we spent the entire night on the second floor waiting for the rescue team. Early in the morning, the rescue team arrived and took away the elderly and the children first, while we stayed behind. The reason we came here (around noon) is because, while we were still at home, we received another notice saying there had been another round of overflow. So we came here with the rescue team by car.”

46. FOOD AND BEVERAGE KIOSK

47. WOMAN SLEEPING ON MAKE-SHIFT BED

48. TAIPOWER CONTRACTOR, LEE CHIN-FU, SPEAKING TO REPORTER

49. (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) 69-YEAR-OLD TAIPOWER CONTRACTOR, LEE CHIN-FU, SAYING:

“I parked my car by the entrance, and when the water smashed the windows as it rushed over. By the time I got upstairs, it was already too late. I had to quickly run up to the second floor and the water had already reached my chest. (REPORTER ASKING: How fast?) Very fast. You really can’t imagine how quickly it came. The water level was roughly between the first and second floors. (REPORTER ASKING: Higher than you?) Yes, even higher. You don’t have time to think about where to run or what to do. You just don’t. We’ve received typhoon and earthquake alerts on our phones. They did go off, but we never thought it would happen so quickly.”

50. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT SHELTER