Macau’s observatory hoisted its highest typhoon warning signal, No. 10 (T10), at 5:30 a.m. today as Super Typhoon Ragasa continued to threaten the city. According to a statement by the Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) at 11 a.m., Super Typhoon Ragasa was estimated to be about 90 km south-southwest of Macau, moving west-northwest at around 20 km/h, gradually edging closer to the territory.
Due to Ragasa, Macau’s low-lying areas have been affected by severe flooding since this morning, including the city’s main thoroughfare, Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro. The observatory issued a Red Storm Surge Warning last night, the fourth-highest of its five-level warning system. At 11 a.m., the bureau said in a separate statement that it expected the water level to continue rising. It anticipated flooding to persist at least until 6 p.m. today, with flood levels expected to peak between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., reaching between 1.5 metres and 2.5 metres.
Meanwhile, Macau’s power utility CEM announced this morning that it has begun suspending electricity supply to low-lying areas affected by flooding, including the Inner Harbour area, Patane, Barra, Ponte e Horta, Manduco, and Fai Chi Kei. Severe flooding was also reported in Macau's offshore islands of Taipa and Coloane.
The Civil Protection Operations Centre urged residents to stay indoors and everyone to stay away from windows. The centre said that late this morning some 16,000 households had been affected by the power cuts.
Civil Protection Operations Centre staff patrol a flooded area in Macau this morning. - Photo: MPDG
