Hundreds of flights have been grounded and tens of thousands of passengers left stranded as Super Typhoon Ragasa moves over Asia.
It has been dubbed the "King of Storms" by China's meteorological agency and is the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane. It is believed to be the most powerful storm the world has seen this year.
The typhoon will make landfall between the cities of Zhuhai and Zhanjiang in Guangdong on Wednesday afternoon or evening, China's National Meteorological Centre has said.
The storm lashed Hong Kong and neighbouring city Macau overnight, sending huge waves crashing onto coastal areas. Videos circulating online showed storm water flooding the ground level of the Fullerton hotel on Hong Kong island's south side.
On Monday, the super typhoon brought wind gusts of up to 285 kilometres per hour at its high point, triggering warnings of floods, storm surges and landslides across the region this week.
Ragasa killed 14 people in eastern Taiwan and left hundreds more injured or missing after a barrier lake overflowed. In the Philippines, at least 10 people have died and thousands more have been left displaced after the storm made landfall over Cagayan province.
Hong Kong Airport is expecting 'significant disruption'
Hong Kong International Airport has announced that it expects "significant disruption" from 6 pm local time on Tuesday. More than 700 flights are likely to be cancelled over the coming days, with all flights suspended after 6 pm on 23 September.
"Due to inclement weather conditions, passengers are advised to contact the airline for the latest flight information or check with the airport's website before departing for the airport," a message on the airport's website reads.
"The public transport services to and from the airport may also be affected. Passengers are advised to allow sufficient travel time to and from the airport."
Before the storm arrived, about 80 per cent of the aircraft belonging to Hong Kong's four major carriers, including Cathay Pacific, had been relocated to or grounded at airports in Japan, China, Cambodia, Europe, Australia and other locations, Reuters reported.
The majority of the city's private jets had also been relocated.
Cathay Pacific has cancelled more than 500 flights and its budget arm, HK Express, has axed 100. All flights to and from Hong Kong have been cancelled between 6 pm on Tuesday 23 September and 6 am on Thursday 25 September.
The airline said that more flight delays and cancellations may be necessary depending on weather conditions and the typhoon's path over the next two days. Cathay Pacific's in-town check-in facility at Hong Kong and Kowloon stations is closed during this period. It has also waived its rebooking, re-routing and refund charges for passengers with trips booked between 23 and 25 September.
Hong Kong Airlines has cancelled more than 100 flights between 23 and 25 September. Online check-in service for some flights will also be suspended during this time.
The airline has also waived rebooking, rerouting and refund fees for all confirmed tickets issued for the affected flights.
Many other international carriers, including Emirates, Lufthansa, Air France and Finnair, have also cancelled flights.
Where else have flights been cancelled?
All flights to and from Shenzhen International Airport in southern China have been suspended since 8 pm local time on 23 September. This is expected to last until the morning of 25 September but will depend on weather conditions.
The entirety of Guangdong province, where Shenzhen is located, has been placed under a level 1 emergency alert - the highest in China's four-tier warning system.
Macau International Airport also announced that after 4:00 pm on Tuesday 23 September, flight operations will be significantly reduced, with virtually no flights taking off or landing on Wednesday 24 September.
