China has evacuated hundreds of thousands of people and ordered at least 10 cities to close schools and some businesses as the strongest storm of the year bears down on its southern coast.
Hong Kong has upgraded its typhoon warning to eight - just two levels below the maximum - ahead of the arrival of Super Typhoon Ragasa. The storm is expected to make landfall in China's Guangdong province on Wednesday, where some 370,000 people have been evacuated so far, as authorities warn of a catastrophic situation.
Ragasa has been dubbed the King of Storms by China's meteorological agency and is expected to move towards northern Vietnam in the coming days, potentially affecting millions.
On Tuesday, supermarket shelves in Hong Kong were wiped empty of fresh bread, vegetables, meat and instant noodles as residents prepared to hunker down. Hong Kong International Airport said it expected significant disruption to flight operations from 18:00 local time until the next day. More than 500 Cathay Pacific flights are expected to be cancelled, while Hong Kong Airlines said it would stop all departures from the city.
Shop owners across southern China piled sandbags in front of their stores in preparation for the storm's arrival, particularly in low-lying areas next to the sea front due to fears of tidal surges.
Super typhoon Ragasa - equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane - packed wind gusts of up to 285km/h (177mph) at its highest point on Monday, and has triggered warnings of floods, storm surges and landslides across the region this week. Many residents have already taped up the windows of their homes and businesses to prevent destruction.
Officials have noted that Ragasa poses a serious threat to Hong Kong, reminiscent of previous typhoons such as Mangkhut, which caused extensive damage in the past. While Taiwan seems to have escaped significant impact, the situation in the Philippines remains dire, with reports of one fatality as the storm caused evacuations prior to landfall.
Hong Kong has upgraded its typhoon warning to eight - just two levels below the maximum - ahead of the arrival of Super Typhoon Ragasa. The storm is expected to make landfall in China's Guangdong province on Wednesday, where some 370,000 people have been evacuated so far, as authorities warn of a catastrophic situation.
Ragasa has been dubbed the King of Storms by China's meteorological agency and is expected to move towards northern Vietnam in the coming days, potentially affecting millions.
On Tuesday, supermarket shelves in Hong Kong were wiped empty of fresh bread, vegetables, meat and instant noodles as residents prepared to hunker down. Hong Kong International Airport said it expected significant disruption to flight operations from 18:00 local time until the next day. More than 500 Cathay Pacific flights are expected to be cancelled, while Hong Kong Airlines said it would stop all departures from the city.
Shop owners across southern China piled sandbags in front of their stores in preparation for the storm's arrival, particularly in low-lying areas next to the sea front due to fears of tidal surges.
Super typhoon Ragasa - equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane - packed wind gusts of up to 285km/h (177mph) at its highest point on Monday, and has triggered warnings of floods, storm surges and landslides across the region this week. Many residents have already taped up the windows of their homes and businesses to prevent destruction.
Officials have noted that Ragasa poses a serious threat to Hong Kong, reminiscent of previous typhoons such as Mangkhut, which caused extensive damage in the past. While Taiwan seems to have escaped significant impact, the situation in the Philippines remains dire, with reports of one fatality as the storm caused evacuations prior to landfall.
