Macau’s observatory, which hoisted Typhoon Signal No. 8 (T8) at 5 p.m. today, issued the Red Storm Surge Warning at 6 p.m., expecting flooding to occur in low-lying areas between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. tomorrow.
The Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG) stated in a statement this evening that flooding would reach its highest level between 10:00 a.m. and 2 p.m. tomorrow, predicting that the highest flood level will be about 1.5 to 2.5 metres.
“Red” is the fourth-highest of Macau’s five-level Storm Surge Warning System. The bureau indicated there was a “medium” probability of issuing the Black Storm Surge Warning, its highest level, tomorrow in the early warning.
“Black” signifies that the water level is expected to be above 2.5 metres from road level in the Macau Peninsula’s Inner Harbour area.
According to a separate statement by the observatory, at 6 p.m., Super Typhoon Ragasa was estimated to be about 350 km east-southeast of Macau. It was forecast to move west-northwest at around 20 km/h towards the western coast of the Pearl River Estuary.
According to Poe, a storm surge is an abnormal rise in sea level associated with a storm, primarily due to the strong winds and low atmospheric pressure of the storm system. It occurs when a storm, such as a hurricane or tropical storm, pushes seawater toward the shore, resulting in flooding and potentially causing significant damage to coastal areas. Storm surges can vary in height and can be exacerbated by factors like tides and coastal topography.
Signal No. 8 means that a tropical cyclone continues to approach Macau. Winds with a sustained speed of 63 to 117 km/h are expected or blowing, and gusts may exceed 180 km/h in Macau, the bureau stated.
The observatory also mentioned that there was a “high” probability of the need to hoist Signal No. 9 (T9) or even Signal No. 10 (T10) tomorrow, considering the expected ferocity of Ragasa. It said that T9 was most likely to be hoisted between midnight and 2 a.m. tomorrow, while T10 would most probably be issued between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.
T10 indicates that the centre of a tropical cyclone is expected to strike at the immediate approaches to Macau. Winds with a sustained speed exceeding 118 km/h are expected or blowing in Macau, "accompanied by gusts of great intensity", according to the bureau.
Macau’s civil protection authorities began this afternoon to evacuate residents from flood-prone low-lying neighbourhoods.
