Thousands of villagers in the Philippines have been moved to safety as Super Typhoon Ragasa brings torrential rains and powerful winds as it passes over the archipelago on its way toward Hong Kong and southern China.

Why It Matters

The storm is skirting the northern Philippines and southern Taiwan on Monday and is expected to slam into southern China’s densely populated Guangdong province, and the Asian financial hub Hong Kong, from Tuesday.

It is likely to disrupt travel and commerce in the region for at least two days.

What To Know

At around midday on Monday in the Philippines, the storm was centered just to the north of its northernmost island of Luzon, roaring over the waters separating the Philippines from southern Taiwan.

“Life-threatening conditions persist over the northern position of northern Luzon,” the Philippine state weather agency PAGASA said. “Widespread incidents of severe flooding and landslides expected.”

Ragasa had sustained winds of 134 miles per hour and gusts of up 165 mph as it headed west at 12 mph and the weather agency warned of a “high risk of life-threatening storm surge” of more than 3 meters (around 10 feet.)

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended government work and classes at all levels on Monday in the capital and 29 provinces in the main northern Luzon region.

More than 500,000 people in six northern provinces have been evacuated, a disaster official told DZRH radio, Reuters reported. The number is expected to rise as authorities mobilize more residents.

Philippine domestic flights were suspended in northern provinces and fishing boats and inter-island ferries were banned from leaving ports due to the very rough seas.

Taiwan issued a sea and land typhoon warning, especially for southern parts of the island, while Hong Kong warned of rapidly worsening weather on Tuesday.

Guangdong province in China raised its wind emergency response to Level II, the second-highest in a four-tier warning system, on Monday, while schools in the cities of Zhuhai and Jiangmen will be suspended from Tuesday, the China Daily reported.

The storm was expected to have a severe impact in Guangdong until Thursday, the newspaper said, citing the provincial meteorological observatory.

What People Are Saying

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a statement to media: “Preemptive evacuations have been conducted and we are immediately responding to the needs of those in evacuation centers. We are closely monitoring the situation, and all government agencies are on alert to provide assistance wherever and whenever needed.”

What Happens Next

The storm will hit Hong Kong on Tuesday and then move into southern China’s Guangdong province.