China Orders Schools, Businesses Shut In 10 Cities Amid Super Typhoon Ragasa

A pedestrian traverses a street during heavy rainfall caused by Super Typhoon Ragasa's weather system.

Chinese authorities have mandated the closure of educational institutions and commercial establishments in at least 10 urban centers on Tuesday as Super Typhoon Ragasa approaches the southern region of the country.

The protective measures will impact dozens of millions of residents and restrict operations at numerous manufacturing facilities across China's industrial core.

According to Guangdong's emergency management bureau's Tuesday morning announcement, Ragasa is anticipated to strike the central and western coastal regions of the province within a 24-hour timeframe.

"Areas of significance must implement decisive actions... thoroughly safeguarding people's lives and assets, and reducing disaster-related damages to the maximum extent possible," the announcement emphasized.

As Ragasa advanced with wind velocities reaching 230 kilometers (140 miles) per hour according to Hong Kong's meteorological service, Guangdong activated its highest-level emergency protocol for windstorms.

Shenzhen, a major technology center, has ordered 400,000 residents to evacuate, with local emergency authorities warning about "extreme wind conditions, precipitation, wave activity, and flooding."

"With the exception of emergency response personnel and essential service providers, please refrain from unnecessary outdoor activities," the authorities stated, noting that workplace and market suspensions would commence in the afternoon hours.

Other significant urban areas implementing similar precautionary measures included Zhuhai, Dongguan and Foshan.

"The powerful winds and substantial rainfall... will have severe consequences for our city, creating a critical defensive scenario," stated Foshan's emergency headquarters.

Presently, Ragasa is moving across the South China Sea, having previously affected parts of the Philippines, where the storm claimed one life.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV advised that vessels operating in the northern section of the waterway, as well as in the southern Taiwan Strait, the Bashi Channel, and Guangdong's coastal waters "should prioritize safety measures."

The scientific community generally concurs that climate change driven by human activities is intensifying storms and increasing their frequency as global temperatures rise.

(This report has not undergone editing by NDTV staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated source.)