China has evacuated about 2 million people from its southern province of Guangdong as typhoon Ragasa is expected to make landfall today. The typhoon is categorised as the most powerful tropical cyclone and storm this year.
The storms have already resulted in the deaths of 14 in Taiwan as a lake burst and caused severe flooding in the east. 124 people are still missing in the region.
The storm had been brewing over the South China Sea for days and brought winds and heavy rains to the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Southern China, Reuters reported.
Ragasa means ‘scramble’ in Tagalog. In the Philippines, the storm killed at least 3 people and left 5 missing and displaced around 17,500 people after destroying homes and farmland.
Chinese weather experts called Ragasa, the king of storms, as it is expected to bring a month's worth of rain in just a few hours.
Emergency management in China also dispatched tens of thousands of folding beds, emergency lighting equipment, and other rescue supplies on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, and Dongguan, the largest cities in the storm’s path, are home to around 50 million people.
China’s marine authority warned of a high risk of flooding in Shenzhen city till Thursday.
In Hong Kong, the storm has toppled 400 trees and damaged slopes. All airline landings and departures have been called at Hong Kong's airport for about 36 hours. Waterfront restaurants in some areas have been flooded, and according to broadcaster RTHK, 62 people have been injured.
Path of the storm
Typhoon Ragasa is expected to keep moving northwest of the South China Sea at about 22kmph.
Forecasts from meteorological agencies and independent trackers show compact but intense cyclones with a well-defined eye.
The Hong Kong Observatory reported winds going up to 112-153 km/h and gusts exceeding 184 km/h on Wednesday morning.
The forecast from the National Weather agency says that the typhoon would make landfall in China between Taishan and Zhanjiang in Guangdong province on Wednesday afternoon or evening.