Typhoon Ragasa made landfall in southern China on Wednesday as it headed north-west after battering Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The national weather agency had forecasted that the tropical storm, considered one of the strongest in years, would make landfall between Yangjiang and Zhanjiang in China’s southern province of Guangdong.
The heavy rains and winds flooded the shores of Hong Kong early on Wednesday.
China had already evacuated about 2 million people from Guangdong earlier. officials issued a red alert for high tides and coastal surges.
In Taiwan, 17 people died and more than a hundred people are missing after the storm resulted in a lake burst, the Guardian reported. Rescue teams were dispatched to Hualien, a popular tourist hub, which was most affected.
The storm formed over the western Pacific last week, fuelled by warm seas and atmospheric conditions. The tropical cyclone intensified into a category 5 super typhoon on Monday with winds exceeding 260 kph.
The storm passed around 100 kilometres south of Hong Kong and made landfall on the Chinese coast, Reuters reported.
The China Meteorological Administration announced on Wednesday afternoon that Ragasa had weakened to about 180km/h (112mph) by Wednesday afternoon from 200km/h earlier in the day turning into a category 3 typhoon.
A category 3 is still capable of bringing down trees and damaging buildings.
A tech industry worker who spoke to SCMP said, “I was woken up by the sound of the wind at around 3am on Wednesday – it felt like it was roaring.”
Videos on social media show water rushing into buildings.
China’s emergency management ministry dispatched tens of thousands of tents and folding beds, emergency lights, and other rescue supplies to Guangdong on Tuesday, according to Chinese media reports. 38,000 firefighters and 400 emergency teams were readied as the province braced for the storm.
In Shenzhen, residents rushed to stockpile food and water, creating a rush in supermarkets. Government workers also trimmed trees to prevent them from falling.
China's marine authority warned of a high risk of flooding in Shenzhen, especially in the low-lying areas. The storm alert may remain in effect till Thursday.
In Hong Kong, where the storm brought heavy rain earlier in the day, the typhoon signal was reduced from 10 to 8 as winds speeds went down. About 50 people were reported injured.