Typhoon Ragasa Landfall

Context:

Typhoon Ragasa struck southern China after battering Hong Kong and Taiwan, leaving at least 15 people dead and causing widespread infrastructural damage.

Nature and Characteristics of Typhoon Ragasa

Landfall Location: Hailing Island, Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province, China.
Timing: September 24, around 5 p.m. (0900 GMT).
Wind Speed: Maximum sustained winds of approximately 145 kmph at landfall.
Destruction Caused: Winds ripped signboards, uprooted trees, and damaged fences and infrastructure.

Regional Impact

Taiwan: Reported at least 15 fatalities due to heavy rains, landslides, and storm-related incidents.
Hong Kong: Severe weather disruption, flooding in low-lying areas, and transportation paralysis.
Southern China: Severe infrastructural damages, uprooting of trees, and electricity disruptions in Yangjiang.

Broader Implications of Increasing Typhoons

Climatic Connection: Rising sea-surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are intensifying typhoons.
Humanitarian Concern: Death tolls, displacement, and economic losses remain severe in densely populated regions.
Urban Vulnerability: Megacities like Hong Kong and Guangzhou face higher risks due to high-rise infrastructure and dense populations.

Typhoons and Cyclones

Definition of Typhoon:

A typhoon is a type of tropical cyclone with wind speeds ?119 kmph, developing over warm ocean waters near the equator.
Formed due to rising warm, moist air from the ocean surface creating a low-pressure area.
Air circulates rapidly inward around the low-pressure center.

Cyclone Circulation Patterns:

Northern Hemisphere: Air circulates anticlockwise.
Southern Hemisphere: Air circulates clockwise.
Cyclones bring heavy rains, strong winds, storm surges, and can cause floods, landslides, and infrastructural damage.

Types of Cyclones and Regional Terminology:

Cyclone Type	Typical Location/Region
Typhoon	China Sea, Western Pacific Ocean
Hurricane	West Indian Islands, Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean
Tornado	Guinea lands of West Africa, Southern USA
Willy-willies	North-Western Australia
Tropical Cyclone	Indian Ocean region (Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea)