Super Typhoon Ragasa is still affecting Macau and the surrounding areas significantly with the SAR’s Typhoon Signal No. 10 still in force, already another tropical storm has formed in the western North Pacific and it is heading towards the Philippines and Hainan Island, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), as reported by various Philippine media.
Tropical Storm Bualoi – known as Opong in the Philippines – entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) yesterday evening just hours after Super Typhoon Nando (Ragasa) moved out towards the West Philippine Sea after slamming the country’s northern part as well as Taiwan.
Based on the current forecast, at 8 am this morning, Bualoi was estimated to be about 2,480km southeast of Macau and forecast to move west-northwest at around 15km/h, according to Macau’s Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG).
The bureau’s forecast cyclone track shows that the storm is expected to turn into Severe Tropical Storm on 26 September as it enters Bicol Region of the Philippines, moving across the Southeast Asian country and South China Sea before officially turning into a typhoon as it is expected to approach China’s Hainan Island on 29 September.
However, the weather bureau has not given further details on Bualoi, such as the forecast typhoon signals or how significant the impact will be.
Meanwhile, Super Typhoon Ragasa has caused floods in Taiwan’s Hualien County, leaving at least 17 people dead and over 120 others still missing, while the vicious storm has killed at least six people in the Philippines.
In Hong Kong, a 38-year-old mother and her five-year-old son were swept away as they went to watch surging waves. They were rescued but were unconscious as they were rushed to a hospital, according to several Hong Kong media reports.
As of noon today, Macau’s Civil Protection Operations Centre has recorded a total of 84 incidents throughout the Macau SAR, including 17 cases of “buildings/lamp posts/trees that are on the verge of collapse or have collapsed”, 53 cases of “concrete, signboards, windows, canopies or other objects falling or swinging, as well as four cases of “scaffolding, scales or other construction facilities falling or swinging.
At 2 pm, Ragasa was estimated to be about 110km southwest of Macau, moving west-northwest at around 20km/h towards the coast of western Guangdong.
SMG is set to downgrade the city’s current Typhoon Signal No. 10 with Signal No. 8 at 4 pm. For more information about Macau’s weather development visit SMG’s website. (Gilbert Humphrey)
Image: SMG
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