Most powerful storm on earth this year lashes Philippines. Hong Kong, Taiwan and southern China on alert

Question

The strongest storm of the year so far has descended on the northern Philippines with destructive winds and torrential rain, prompting evacuations of thousands of people and preparations in nearby Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China.

Typhoon Ragasa, known in the Philippines as Nando, made landfall over Panuitan Island, in the northern Cagayan province, on Monday, according to the country’s meteorological agency (PAGASA) – after generating sustained winds of over 267 kph (165 mph), the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane.

Tens of millions of people could be impacted by the storm, which is expected to pass over parts of the Asian island nation before heading toward the major cities of Hong Kong and Macau, and mainland China’s Guangdong Province.

Answer 1

My findings show that yes Typhoon Ragasa or "Nando" was the most powerful storm of 2025. Nearly 1.9 million people were relocated with maximum gusts of 150 mph, diameter of 50 miles, winds up to 134 mph, and minimum central pressure of approximately 910 hPa. My primary sources include https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/  (the national hurricane center), as well as https://www.npr.org/2025/09/24/g-s1-90281/typhoon-ragasa-batters-hong-kong-and-southern-china (npr), and https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/22/asia/super-typhoon-ragasa-philippines-hong-kong-intl-hnk (CNN). With the Philippines and Taiwan being the most affected there was at least 24 causalities and 33 people reported missing within these two places. In Hong Kong over 100 people were injured and major infrastructure damage was caused. On top of causalities and infrastructure damage, there was economic losses exceeding 1 billion USD. While all this is true, experts compare Ragasa to another typhoon that hit Hong Kong in 2018, Mangkhut. They note  that while Ragasa was powerful most metrics stayed below what Mangkhut had. So yes it is the most powerful storm of 2025 so far but it was not record breaking as the title of CNN may make it seem. 

 

Comments

I think your analysis does a great job balancing CNN’s dramatic framing with actual data from NOAA and NPR. The comparison to Mangkhut is especially helpful, it gives readers a sense of scale and reminds us that “record-breaking” doesn’t always mean “historic.” You might also mention that Ragasa’s unusually compact diameter (about 50 miles) contributed to the extreme localized damage despite not setting global intensity records. Including that meteorological detail could further strengthen your explanation of why media headlines can exaggerate storms like this.

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I think you did a good job in answering this person's claim, you were able to find good sources and actual data in order to prove that this claim was true. I also liked that you used another typhoon in order to show the differences between what happened in 2018 and in 2025. It was also good that you added the data you found, to further strengthen your answer next time you can use a direct quote from an article.

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I agree with some other comments on your post, about how you did a good job finding a balance between the "over-dramatized" reports of a network like CNN and actual data from places like the NOAA. Comparing this storm to another one I think proved to be quite useful, because it helped to add perspective on the scale and scope of this super-strong storm.

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I think that you did a great job with this fact check, at first when I saw this I did not think it was true because I have not heard about it. But after reading your fact check which is backed by stats from NOAA and NPR. Also you used some evidence from a CNN article.

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You did a great job of analyzing well known websites because I think that it's easy to believe a popular news reporting website but analyzing cnn, noaa and npr were great picks.

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This is a well-rounded fact check. I like how you didn't stop at the headline but traced the claims' worthiness using both news and technical sources.  One area you could strengthen is the primary source. It seems pretty braud, I would try using a different source if there is one available.

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Nice work adding some nuance to your answer on this fact check. Not only do you have great sources, but you analyzed the true story beyond a simple black and white viewpoint. It is often helpful, as you did, to remove the sensationalism from mainstream news outlets like CNN.

Answer 2

While the statement "The strongest storm of the year so far" might be an opinion, the facts don't lie. I couldn't find the source that states "winds of over 267 kph", but I found a BBC article https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c0m44dlndnrt from 9/24 stating that  "Typhoon Ragasa made landfall in Yangjiang at 17:00 local time (10:00 BST) with sustained winds of 144km/h (89mph)" confirming the severity of this typhoon. Additionally, this BBC article reports that "In Taiwan, at least 17 people died after a barrier lake burst its bank, releasing an estimated 15.4 million tonnes of water...As many as 62 people were injured when the storm passed near Hong Kong, unleashing powerful winds and heavy rain" proving the lethality of Ragasa. 

Comments

You have done a good job of corroborating the narrative that the claim demonstrates, but I think that your answer would be strengthened with a primary or government source and statistics. News organizations like BBC (your source), CNN, and others have a tendency to dramatize events, thus making it difficult to accurately support other claims. By including a more factual account of the storm or other events from a source like NHC (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/), you could make your answer more reliable and diverse.
Secondly, I don't personally believe that the BBC or other news outlets would misreport on extreme weather events that injure large numbers of people, but it is always wise to analyze the political bias of news sources. In general, the BBC has a center or impartial bias rating (https://www.allsides.com/news-source/bbc-news-media-bias).

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I thought you did a great job being transparent about what information you didn’t find regarding the original post about the speed of the winds. I also thought the news source that you chose was great because it’s on the list of reliable sources from News Detective. I also thought that you did a great job summarzing facts that you found in the BBC article. For example the quotes about how many people have been injured and the speed of the wind that they reported. Overall great job!

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I was skeptical about the same thing with the statement that it was the strongest storm of the year, so I liked that you pointed that out as well. I did see an updated death count that said 14 people died because they double counted but good job!

Answer 3

This claim is a little misleading at first as "strongest storm of the year" can create a lot of concern among people, but also a lot of curiosity because how exactly is the "strongest storm" measured. After researching I believe that this claim is true for several reasons. The weather channel posted an article on September 25th stating, "Dozens were injured across the island, while many others lost contact with loved ones as a result of the storm". More statistics from that same article include, "In the Guangdong city of Yanjiang, more than 10,000 trees were damaged, leaving branches floating in submerged streets" and "Power outages were also a major problem, with nearly half a million households losing power. More than a third of which remained without power on Thursday morning" (Ragasa's Deadly Path Through Taiwan, Philippines And China | Weather.com). An article from Forbes that was posted on September 23rd titled it as a "super typhoon", as well as saying it is the strongest storm of the year. What Makes Ragasa A Super Typhoon? Strongest Storm Of 2025 Explained. The weather channel could have a commercial bias meaning that crazy stories or headlines like this one in particular could make them a lot of money. Forbes often focuses on large corporations or wealthy individuals which pay skew the stories that they are choosing to publish and/or how they are telling it. 

Answer 4

The claim that Typhoon Ragasa has been the most powerful storm of 2025 so far is true. After using LinkedIn to research information on the author, I found that Keanu Frazier is a freshman at the University of Oregon, studying public relations. Because there are no other pieces published by him, this was likely written for an assignment. Despite lacking clear experience, his use of CNN aids his credibility. The data from both the author and CNN align with similar statistics found in other sources. The report is recent, as the storm occurred almost a month ago. It also appears that the author has no bias toward the topic, for no other pieces have been published proving any bias. 

In addition to CNN’s coverage, I examined a report from Direct Relief, a nonprofit humanitarian organization. The information aligned calling Typhoon Ragasa a super typhoon, “Weather agencies recorded the storm reaching sustained wind speeds of 165 miles per hour, equivalent to a Category Five hurricane, making it the most powerful storm in the world so far in 2025” (Direct Relief). As that quote stated, they sourced their information from “weather agencies”. Even though Direct Relief did not state the agencies used, research and data show that the information likely came from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). According to PAGASA’s issued Tropical Cyclone Bulletin number 24, posted on September 22, 2025, the report confirmed the size and description of the storm, “SUPER TYPHOON “NANDO” MADE LANDFALL OVER PANUITAN ISLAND IN CALAYAN, CAGAYAN” (PAGASA). Additionally, the report gave more information about the intensity and strength of the typhoon: “Maximum sustained winds of 215 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 295 km/h, and central pressure of 910 hPa”. According to the BBC, in eastern Taiwan, at least 14 people passed away, and in Guangdong province, at least 370,000 people were evacuated. Additionally, this article continues to explain the destruction and power of the storm: “ Hong Kong has upgraded its typhoon warning to level 10, the maximum level” (BBC). This evidence verifies Direct Relief’s and BBC’s trustworthiness and the intensity of Typhoon Ragasa.

In the end, the use of credible sources and outside information confirms the author's credibility and the overall truth of the claim. https://pubfiles.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/tamss/weather/bulletin/TCB%2324_nando.pdf 

https://www.directrelief.org/2025/09/strongest-storm-of-2025-roars-through-southeast-asia-region-braces-for-more-impacts/ 

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3rvjj7dp7ro 

Answer 5

Typhoon Ragasa is the most powerful storm recorded in 2025. The typhoon is currently categorized as a category 5 hurricane, and the peak wind speeds have gone up to 177 mph with 24 inches of rain. 14 deaths have been recorded, but the storm is approaching more countries like China and Hong Kong. There seems to be no slowing to more storms in the future due to warming climates which cause higher rainfall and higher wind speeds. It has displaced thousands of people due to its strength of wind and rain. The start of the claim that says the most powerful storm on earth can be misleading if readers don’t understand it was just in this last year, 2025. The claim is technically true because of its category and how the max wind speeds were higher than any of the other typhoons that have occurred this year. June-October is peak typhoon season because of the heavy rains that turn into typhoons. Nasa categorized it as a category 5 typhoon which places it up there as the most destructive of the year. I think CNN did exaggerate when it came to using these enticing words to get more viewers and to create more fear mongering content in the media because no matter what people will stop and read it.

Answer 6

This claim is true. Mainly impacting the Philippines, this storm has also called forth evacuations for nearby countries such as China and Taiwan. Winds started to report at as high as 165 mph (or 267 kph), which CNN compared to a category 5 hurricane. The storm, named Typhoon Ragasa, was predicted to cause 10 feet waves and 15 inch rain floods (CNN). This has been the most intense storm in 2025, with over 10,000 people being ordered to evacuate. According to an article from CNN, the Philippines Department of the Interior and Local Government provided a comment on the situation saying, “‘Homes and property can be rebuilt, but lives lost can never be replaced’” (CNN). Work and classes were cancelled and power was shut off for areas of the Philippines like Calayan island and Apayao (AP News). Neighboring countries Taiwan and China have distributed mass evacuations for coastal residents and storm warnings. Although the headline might be a little evasive, it is true that global climate change is making these storms more catastrophic and frequent. 

Articles: 

• https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/22/asia/super-typhoon-ragasa-philippines-hong-kong-intl-hnk

• https://apnews.com/article/typhoon-ragasa-philippines-hong-kong-china-57f9409705d52e077062a3b17b05fb2f#

Answer 7

True. Typhoon Ragasa (Nando) is the most powerful storm of the year, and is called “the King of Storms” by meteorological agencies in China (https://apnews.com/article/typhoon-ragasa-facts-china-taiwan-hong-kong-eb8da9b7f22530df08b01b35eafda758). It is reported by NPR that at least 14 people died in Taiwan and 10 people in the Philippines. Over 60 people in Hong Kong were injured and treated at local hospitals and 34 people reported injured in Taiwan. I can only find other CNN reports on the speeds of 267 kph, but both NPR and AP report wind speeds of at least 241 kph, which labels it as a super-typhoon (https://www.npr.org/2025/09/24/g-s1-90281/typhoon-ragasa-batters-hong-kong-and-southern-china). Schools and different services throughout China, Taiwan, and the Philippines were suspended due to the dangerous weather, while the winds destroyed trees and infrastructure. It was reported that around 700,000 people were affected just within the Philippine region. Nearly 1.9 million people had to evacuate the southern Guangdong province of China. 

Answer 8

This claim, although slightly exaggerated in the title, is absolutely true. It has so far been the largest and most powerful storm of the year. This storm originated in the Philippines and worked its way West across southern China. It not only caused extreme waves and floods but also resulted in the death of about 27 people in Taiwan and the Philippines. In fact, the storm has been dubbed the "King of Storms" by China's meteorological agency, after displacing almost 1.9 million people in China. My main sources for this information are https://apnews.com/article/typhoon-ragasa-facts-china-taiwan-hong-kong-eb8da9b7f22530df08b01b35eafda758 (AP), https://www.npr.org/2025/09/24/g-s1-90281/typhoon-ragasa-batters-hong-kong-and-southern-china (NPR), and https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/22/asia/super-typhoon-ragasa-philippines-hong-kong-intl-hnk (CNN). All of the sources present the devastating facts of the storm and the damage it has done. However, there have been worse storms in that region before, making it only the strongest storm of the year so far, not the most powerful storm on earth.