Waves caused by Super Typhoon Ragasa shattered the glass doors of a seaside hotel at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park and flooded its lobby, as hurricane-force winds raged on in the city, toppling trees and inundating its coastlines.
A widely circulated video showed a man being swept away by the floodwater rushing into the lobby of the Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel Hong Kong. The water level appeared to have reached a man’s knee, and hotel staff could be heard urging people to leave the lobby.
In response to HKFP’s enquiry, the Fullerton hotel said, “No injury is reported; we have deployed additional resources, and are doing all we can to mitigate the impact brought about by the super typhoon to safeguard the safety and well-being of our guests.”
The super typhoon reached hurricane-force winds, triggering the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) to hoist its highest warning, the T10 signal, at 2.40am on Wednesday, just an hour after raising the T9 signal.
The HKO will lower the typhoon signal to T8 at 1.20pm as the super typhoon Ragasa gradually departs the city.
Ragasa caused significant rises in sea levels and flooding along the eastern coastline early on Wednesday. Areas such as Heng Fa Chuen were particularly hard hit, with waves reaching as high as lampposts on the waterfront.
Floodwaters swept into the courtyards of housing estates and onto roads early in the morning, according to social media posts.
The waterfront in Siu Sai Wan, which is also on the city’s eastern coastline, about a 10-minute drive from Heng Fa Chuen, was flooded on Wednesday morning.
The typhoon has caused damage citywide, as Hong Kong authorities had received 350 reports of fallen trees as of 9am on Wednesday, according to a government statement.
One landslide report has been made to the Civil Engineering and Development Department, while the Drainage Services Department has received 12 flooding reports.
A total of 56 people have been injured during the typhoon and have received treatment at the A&E, according to the Hospital Authority. Meanwhile, the Home Affairs Department has opened 50 temporary shelters in various districts, with 791 people seeking refuge.
In Sham Tseng, another coastal area, part of the façade of a residential block at the Bellagio estate appeared to have been torn off in the typhoon.
Trees were uprooted during the storm in Oi Man Estate, a public housing estate in Ho Man Tin; near Prime View Garden in Tuen Mun; and in Kowloon Tong.
Typhoon Signal 10
Hurricane force winds are blowing or expected to blow when the No.10 signal is issued – it is the highest warning signal the Observatory can hoist.
- Citizens are urged to stay indoors and away from exposed windows and doors.
- Temporary shelters for people with no safe refuge will be opened.
- All government facilities and all schools will be closed.
- There will be no bus or ferry services, but trains will run in the underground sections of some MTR lines, if conditions permit.
- If the eye of the tropical cyclone passes directly over Hong Kong, there may be a temporary lull. The Hong Kong Observatory warns that this lull will be followed by a sudden resumption of violent winds, so residents in a safe place should stay where they are.
Observatory signals currently in force
- Cold Weather Warning was issued at 16:20 HKT (5 Jan 2026)
- Red Fire Danger Warning was issued at 06:00 HKT (5 Jan 2026)
Climate crisis
Tropical cyclones – which get their energy from warm ocean water – are strengthening and become ever more destructive because of warming seas. Over 90 per cent of excess heat in the atmosphere is ending up in oceans, according to NASA, as rising greenhouse gases prevent it from escaping to space.
