Wind speeds of 280 kmph: What made Super Typhoon Ragasa so intense?, Pg 22.

Key Highlights:

• Super Typhoon Ragasa struck Hong Kong on Wednesday, forcing two million people in southern China to evacuate.
• The typhoon had maximum sustained winds of 280 kmph, making it the most intense tropical cyclone recorded in 2025.
• Ragasa has caused at least 14 deaths in Taiwan and 2 deaths in the northern Philippines.
• Coastal waters in Hong Kong rose more than 3 meters due to a significant storm surge.

Detailed Insights:

• Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters near the equator, gaining strength from the ocean's heat and evaporated water.
• The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale categorizes cyclones based on maximum sustained wind speed, ranging from Category 1 (119-153 kmph) to Category 5 (252 kmph or higher).
• The 'dirty' side of a tropical cyclone in the northern hemisphere, which is the right-hand side relative to its motion, experiences the most powerful winds due to the combination of the storm's forward motion and rotating circulation.
• Rising global temperatures are believed to be intensifying tropical cyclones, with studies indicating that cyclones in Southeast Asia are forming closer to coastlines and intensifying more rapidly.
• Warmer surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, where Ragasa formed, have risen by about 1.5 degrees Celsius in the past century, contributing to the typhoon's intensity.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Tropical Cyclone: A rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation.
• Saffir-Simpson Scale: A 1 to 5 rating based on a hurricane's sustained wind speed, estimating potential property damage.
• Storm Surge: An abnormal rise in sea level during a tropical cyclone, caused primarily by the storm's winds pushing water onshore.