The world’s most powerful tropical cyclone this year has made landfall in China.
So far the death toll has reached 17 in Taiwan after a lake burst - resulting in severe flooding.
Named, Typhoon Ragasa, the severe weather event has resulted in mass evacuations being issued across Hong Kong and China’s Guangdong province, causing chaos across the regions.
The typhoon has slowly weakened in the hours since it made landfall, but conditions remain highly dangerous with weather experts warning a month’s worth of rain is expected to fall over the next two days.
Vietnam and Laos are expected to be hit by Ragasa on Thursday (September 25).
Military troops in China's southern coast have begun rescue and search missions with flights in Hong Kong expected to resume after midnight local time today (Thursday) (17:00 BST).
The country has faced the strongest storm of the year since Monday.
Around 37,000 people were evacuated from Guangdong province in Southern China and at least 10 cities were ordered to shut schools, as authorities cautioned an imminent “catastrophic” situation on Monday. Businesses such as Hong Kong’s Disneyland and Macau’s casinos also closed.
It reached wind gusts of 285km/h (177mph) on Monday, and has sparked warnings of floods, storm surges and landslides throughout the region this week, which is continuing still.
Here’s everything we know about Super typhoon Ragasa:
Where has the storm hit?
Super Typhoon Ragasa struck small Philippine islands located in the country’s northern tip on Monday. At least one person was killed and over 10,000 were evacuated from northern and central Luxon, the Philippines Department of the Interior and Local Government said in a statement.
Schools and government offices were shut elsewhere in the country, including in the capital, Manila.
The storm also hit Taiwan, where at least 17 people have so far been confirmed as dead. Over 7,600 people from southern and eastern regions were evacuated and transport was disrupted.
It is expected to next hit Vietnam and Laos on Thursday (September 25).
The storm is predicted to then move towards northern Vietnam, potentially impacting millions.
What advice were people in China given?
The Hong Kong weather authority warned on Tuesday that the Typhoon Ragasa posed a "severe threat" to the Guangdong province.
"The Government advises members of the public with long or difficult home journeys or having to return to outlying islands to begin their journeys now," the authority said in a Facebook post.
"The Government is now making arrangements to release its employees accordingly."
Local authorities gave out sandbags for people to put outside their homes in low-lying areas in hope that it would protect them from tidal surges.
Has travel been disrupted?
Yes. At least 600 flights from Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines and other carriers were cancelled. Hong Kong International Airport kept some restaurants and shops open for 24 hours for stranded passengers and it is expected to resume flights and full services again in the coming hours.
Is climate change to blame?
The exact relationship between climate change and Ragasa is not known.
Climate change is not believed to increase the frequency of hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones worldwide. However, global warming can make these weather events more intense, including higher wind speeds, more rainfall and a higher risk of coastal flooding.
