Typhoon Nando, internationally known as Ragasa, is beginning to pull away from the Philippines after lashing northern Luzon and the Babuyan Islands with powerful winds and torrential rain.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) continues to classify Nando as a super typhoon, though forecasters note it has weakened slightly from peak winds of around 140 knots (259 kilometers per hour). The system remains the equivalent of a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.
Satellite and microwave imagery show Nando’s eyewall passed over the Babuyan Islands on Monday before the storm shifted northwest. Flooding and heavy rain were reported in Cagayan province and nearby communities. By Tuesday, the storm’s inflow began shifting, reducing the risk of prolonged onshore flooding rains across Luzon, though additional showers remain likely along the western seaboard and into Metro Manila.
Schools closed Tuesday in parts of southern China ahead of Nando’s approach. The storm is forecast to pass south of Hong Kong early Wednesday before brushing northern Hainan and eventually making landfall in northern Vietnam later in the week. Forecasters warn that the south side of Hong Kong Island could still experience damaging winds and coastal flooding even if the urban core is sheltered by terrain.
Taiwan has also endured days of heavy rainfall fueled by the typhoon’s circulation, with some areas receiving 500 to 1,000 millimeters of rain since the weekend.
Meanwhile, meteorologists are monitoring a new disturbance forming east of the Philippines. The broad area of convection near Guam is showing signs of organization, and computer models indicate it could intensify into the next named storm by late Thursday or Friday. Current projections suggest possible landfall near the Bicol region or Catanduanes, with additional potential for re-intensification in the West Philippine Sea and a continued track toward Vietnam.
Forecasters caution that even as Nando weakens, its inflow will continue to enhance showers across western Luzon and the Visayas. Surfers and coastal communities in eastern Luzon are also being advised to prepare for strong swells generated by both Nando and the developing system to the east.
Officials urge residents in flood-prone and landslide-prone areas to remain alert for further advisories from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).