Typhoon Ragasa explodes into 2025’s fiercest storm

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features Typhoon Ragasa swirling over the western Pacific Ocean. The storm, also known as Nando, emerged from a quiet season to become the most powerful typhoon of 2025, with winds that topped 165 miles per hour.

The image was captured on September 23 at 01:40 Universal Time by NASA’s Terra satellite. At this point, the storm had nearly reached full strength as it churned toward southern China.

A calm typhoon season

For much of the year, the northwest Pacific basin was unusually calm. Real-time estimates of accumulated cyclone energy showed activity at only half its normal level by late September. 

The quiet season ended on September 18, when Ragasa formed a few hundred miles east of the Philippines.

Within days, the system had spun into a monster. On September 22, after rapid intensification drove the storm to Category 5 strength, it slammed into northern Luzon with fierce rain and winds. 

Floods, landslides, and damage to crops and property followed. Tens of thousands of residents were displaced, lives were lost, and power outages spread across communities.

The strongest typhoon of the year

By late on September 21, Ragasa had reached its peak with sustained winds over 145 knots – more than 165 miles per hour. That made it the strongest typhoon anywhere in the world this year. 

Satellite images captured the storm’s massive structure, showing tightly wound bands spiraling around a well-defined eye.

What made Ragasa so persistent was the environment it traveled through – with the ideal conditions for a powerful and long-lasting typhoon.

According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the storm moved through a “highly favorable environment characterized by strong radial outflow, warm sea surface temperatures, and low vertical wind shear.”

Unusual typhoon activity

The 2025 western Pacific typhoon season has been unusual. The season technically lasts all year, though the bulk of storms typically form between May and November. 

Activity often peaks in late August or early September, but so far, the basin has only produced nineteen named storms. 

Of these, only two storms other than Ragasa managed to hold on to Category 3 or higher strength for any length of time. That scarcity makes Ragasa stand out even more. 

After months of relative calm, the sudden arrival of a super typhoon reminded millions across the region of how volatile the Pacific can be.

The path of Typhoon Ragasa 

After tearing across northern Luzon, Ragasa set its sights on southern China. On September 24, the super typhoon made landfall in Yangjiang, Guangdong province, unleashing hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall. Nearly 1.9 million people in the province were relocated in advance of the storm. 

In Hong Kong, surging tides and torrential rain flooded streets and damaged infrastructure, bringing much of the city to a halt. Taiwan also felt Ragasa’s power when a barrier lake in Hualien County overflowed, causing floods that killed at least 17 people and left others missing.

Though Ragasa weakened slightly after landfall, it remained a dangerous system as it pushed west-northwest toward Maoming, an important hub for China’s oil industry. 

Forecasts show the storm continuing on a path toward northern Vietnam and Laos. Even as its winds diminish, forecasters warn of widespread flooding, landslides, and coastal storm surge across the region.

Storms in a warming world

Scientists caution that while climate change does not create typhoons, it can make them more destructive. Warmer oceans provide more fuel for storms, increasing the chance of rapid intensification events like Ragasa. 

Rising sea levels also worsen coastal flooding, turning storm surge into a greater threat for millions who live near the shore.

Research shows that the overall number of tropical cyclones each year may not increase dramatically, but the strongest storms are becoming more frequent. That means more Category 4 and 5 systems, capable of inflicting catastrophic damage. 

As the Pacific and other ocean basins warm, communities are being urged to prepare for storms that intensify faster, drop heavier rainfall, and linger longer over vulnerable coastlines.

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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