Super Typhoon Ragasa enters East Sea with 221 kph winds

By Gia Chinh September 22, 2025 | 03:03 pm PT

A predicted trajectory of Super Tyhoon Ragasa. Graphics by Vietnam National Disaster System

Super Typhoon Ragasa entered East Sea on Monday night with maximum winds of 221 km per hour, becoming the ninth storm to affect Vietnam this year.

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the storm’s center was over the northern East Sea (South China Sea) at around 10 p.m. Monday and moving west-northwest at 20–25 kph.

At 10 p.m. on Tuesday, the storm is expected to maintain winds of 184–220 kph.

By 10 p.m. on Wednesday, it is forecast to make landfall south of Guangzhou, China, with winds weakening to 118–149 kph before turning west-southwest.

At 10 p.m. on Thursday, it is projected to make landfall in Quang Ninh–Ninh Binh provinces in northern Vietnam with winds further decreasing to 62–74 kph.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the storm currently packs winds of 198 kph, easing to around 126 kph as it passes over the Leizhou Peninsula. The agency notes the track has shifted farther north of Leizhou and deeper into mainland China, leading to a rapid loss of intensity.

Hong Kong forecasters also expect winds of around 90 kph when the storm reaches Quang Ninh, home to Ha Long Bay.

Mai Van Khiem, director of Vietnam's National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, said at a meeting on Monday the super typhoon will enter a rapid weakening phase from Sept. 24 due to the influence of continental high pressure and friction over China’s terrain.

As it crosses the Leizhou Peninsula into the Gulf of Tonkin, the storm is expected to weaken, bringing sustained winds of 75–102 kph as it reaches Vietnamese land between Quang Ninh and Thanh Hoa.

In 2024, the Northwest Pacific recorded three super typhoons, defined as carrying maximum sustained winds of at least 201 kph: Yagi, Gaemi, and Krathon. Yagi made landfall in northern Vietnam, bringing destructive winds, landslides, flash floods, and severe flooding. It killed 318 people, left 26 missing, and caused nearly VND84 trillion (US$3.2 billion) in economic losses in Vietnam.

From October to December, meteorologists expect more storms and tropical depressions off Vietnam's coast than the multi-year average, typically more than four storms with nearly two making landfall.