Typhoon Ragasa has made landfall in China, where around two million people have been evacuated
At least 17 people have died in Taiwan after a lake burst, causing severe flooding in the east - geologists are describing it as a "tsunami from the mountains"
A month's worth of rain is expected today in Zhuhai city as it hunkers down for the "King of Storms", our correspondent Laura Bicker reports
Ragasa has weakened from super to severe typhoon status but remains highly destructive with top winds of 241km/h (150mph)
Equivalent of a Category Five hurricane, Ragasa is the world's strongest storm this year and has been roaring over the South China Sea for days
The typhoon did not make landfall in Hong Kong, but left 90 people injured after it skirted the coastline, unleashing powerful winds and heavy rain
Sixty-two people have been injured by the typhoon in Hong Kong, according to public broadcaster RTHK.
While Ragasa did not make landfall in Hong Kong, it skirted past the city this morning and unleashed powerful winds and heavy rain.
There were more than 400 reports of fallen trees, 15 reports of flooding and one landslide, RTHK reported.
Sarah Keith-Lucas
Lead weather presenter, BBC Weather
Ragasa has weakened over recent hours as it approaches land but it remains a very strong typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 176km/h (109mph) and 268km/h gusts.
As the Typhoon continues to move westwards winds will ease further over the next few hours but the storm will still be very powerful with expected gusts of around 175km/h on landfall.
The eye of the storm is expected to make landfall at 15:00 GMT today (23:00 local) near the city of Zhanjiang in Guangdong.
Some of the worst impacts from winds and the largest storm surges will occur to the north of the eye, along the Guangdong coastline towards Yangjiang.
Coastal inundation is possible here as the storm surge reaches 2-3m widely but possibly 4-5m in the worst affected parts.
Additionally, 250-450mm of rain is forecast across the region which is falling on saturated ground following the passage of storm Mitag last week.
Laura Bicker
China correspondent, reporting from Zhuhai
We're in the lobby of our hotel, where we are sheltering from the approaching typhoon while we go on air.
You can feel the gusts of wind and see the huge swathes of rain that are battling the coastline.
As Ragasa makes its way along the southern coast of China, there have been mass evacuations across the densely populated Guangdong province.
This is a province with huge factories - this is where most of what is made in China comes from, and it's home to the city of Shenzhen, which is a technology hub.
Right now we are in Zhuhai city, where a month's worth of rain is expected in the next few hours - and you can feel that warning come to life.
It's just past 14:00 in southern China, where Super Typhoon Ragasa is expected to make landfall later today.
If you're just joining us now, here's a quick look at what's happened over the last few hours:
Stay with us as we bring you the latest.
Laura Bicker
China correspondent, reporting from Zhuhai
Image source, Getty ImagesRed alerts have been issued in the mountain regions of Guangdong province for landslides, and authorities are asking people to stay inside if possible.
Police are patrolling the streets with sirens and megaphones, warning people to stay indoors.
China's weather experts have said in recent years that typhoons are increasing in intensity - they are calling this one the "king of storms".
What's evident is China's preparedness for such extreme weather.
Local neighbourhood watches are going around, telling restaurants to close for the day. People in buildings with more than 10 floors have been evacuated, as well as those in low-lying areas.
They're very used to this - and it appears they realise that this is something they may have to get used to in the future as the likelihood of such severe storms increases.
Super typhoon Ragasa has sent huge waves crashing on coastal areas in Hong Kong.
The city has downgraded its typhoon warning to level No. 8 - down from the highest No. 10 issued early today - as Ragasa brushes past its southern coast on its way to Guangdong province in southern China.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty ImagesHualien is a county on Taiwan's mountainous east coast, which is sparsely populated compared to the west.
Home to about 350,000 people, Hualien's blue rivers and verdant mountainscapes have earned it a reputation as a nature escape from the city.
Asian travel websites offer nature tours to the country, from whale watching to nature park treks.
It's right on the typhoon corridor, which also includes tropical destinations such as Japan's Okinawa islands and the Philippines' Batanes islands.
The eye of Ragasa did not directly hit Hualien, but it still brought heavy rains to the county, causing the barrier lake to collapse.
Ting Chiang
BBC News Chinese, Taipei
Image source, AwaResidents of Hualien, Taiwan where a lake burst its banks said they were caught off guard by the speed of the floods – even though authorities evacuated some residents ahead of time.
“We found out from the internet that some nearby areas had been flooded, so we were moving our important belongings to the second floor,” said Awa, who runs a bookstore with her husband Moli Ka’ti in Guangfu Township.
“Then we tried to get to our car and drive away from the scene but it was too late. It was like a river outside and cars were floating in the water. Everything started drifting,” said the 42-year-old.
The couple started the book shop in 2020 with the mission of preserving the history of Indigeneous people. It moved to its current location just a few months ago.
The shop is now drenched in mud and they are still taking stock of the damage.
“But I am really sad because some of the books have already run out of print,” she said.
As Awa was sheltered on the second floor of her bookstore, she saw how one of her neighbours struggled to navigate a flooded street. “There was nothing we could help,” she said.
“I’m still in shock. I just can’t imagine how this could have happened. This is one of the busiest areas in Hualien and the streets are lined with shops. We go to these places all the time but everything was destroyed yesterday,” she said.
The couple spent the night at an evacuation centre. Hualien is home to many indigenous tribes, and the couple belongs to the Amis community.
Just days ago, Typhoon Mitag made landfall in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. As Super Typhoon Ragasa appraches, local authorities are concerned about the region's storm defences.
"This is particularly concerning as our province has just been struck by Typhoon Mitag, and in some areas, the soil moisture content is saturated, weakening the area’s ability to withstand disasters," the Guangdong government said earlier.
"Facing another super strong typhoon, the risk and potential harm of the disaster will significantly increase, making the defence situation extremely severe and urgent."
As of last night, more than 1.89 million people have been evacuated in Guangdong province, local authorities say.
As we've been reporting, Ragasa is expected to make landfall in the province sometime today.
A video taken by a Hong Kong resident this morning shows high water levels in a river running through the city.
Watch: Surging water levels as Super Typhoon Ragasa lashes Hong Kong
People scrambled for safety as police car sirens sounded in Guangfu township, in Hualien, eastern Taiwan, late morning on Wednesday.
"The flood waters are coming, run fast," came shouts from residents and rescuers, Reuters reported.
Guangfu has been among the hardest-hit by the typhoon, with authorities reporting 14 people dead and more than 120 missing after a barrier lake burst its banks and flooded the township.
Laura Bicker
China correspondent
The winds in Zhuhai have now picked up as the eye of the typhoon moves closer to the Chinese coast.
The police are now warning people it is more important to stay indoors.
We've seen flying debris including trees.
Image source, Getty ImagesSuper Typhoon Ragasa is headed for southern China after sweeping through northern Philippines on Tuesday. A quick look at the destruction it has caused so far:
Philippines
Taiwan
Hong Kong
China
Ting Chiang
BBC News Chinese, Taipei
Image source, Getty ImagesThe scale of destruction in eastern Taiwan has been “far worse than anticipated” after a barrier lake burst its bank in Hualien county, officials say.
The Matai’an Creek barrier lake was formed after a massive landslide triggered by Typhoon Wipha in July. However, it is hard for authorities to clean up because of the difficult terrain.
Some geologists described the breach as “a tsunami from the mountains”, as an estimated 15.4 million tonnes of water – equivalent to 6,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools – were released.
As a result, entire bridges were washed away, and floodwaters in Hualien City rose to the height of a single-storey building in some areas.
The government has established a frontline disaster response centre in Hualien, and the Ministry of National Defence has deployed troops to assist with the rescue efforts.
Although floodwaters have receded in the city, thick mud and debris remain, and search teams continue to go door-to-door in hopes of locating the missing.The disaster has sparked widespread concern across Taiwan, with many expressing solidarity with residents in Hualien. Social media platforms have been flooded with messages of support, donation drives, and calls for greater attention to infrastructure resilience in the region.
A lorry can be seen floating down flooded streets in video footage from Taiwan. You can see the moment the current forced along the vehicle below:
Laura Bicker
China correspondent, Zhuhai
The police in Zhuhai are still patrolling the streets using megaphones to tell people to stay inside.
You can barely hear the warnings above the howling winds and sheets of rain.
The winds are beginning to ease slightly as the typhoon moves further along the southern coast of China, but still gusts are so strong it is difficult to stay standing.
A few brave people got on bicycles to head to work, but otherwise people are heeding the warnings.
People living in buildings higher than 10 floors have also been evacuated.
The total number of people who have been moved to safety in Guangdong province now stands at more than one million.
The Chinese authorities are taking no chances with what weather experts here have described as the King of Storms.
Image source, ReutersIn some low-lying coastal areas of Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Guangzhou, there will be a high risk of seawater intrusion around midday local time, China's state broadcaster CCTV has said. All three cities are located in the southern province of Guangdong.
China's National Maritime Environmental Forecasting Center issued a red alert for ocean waves and a red alert for storm surge.
"From this morning to tomorrow morning, in the north-western part of the South China Sea, there will be an area of very rough to high seas with wave heights of seven to 12 metres."
"In the coastal waters off Guangdong, there will be an area of huge to very rough seas with wave heights of four to six metres."
Lok Lee
BBC Chinese, Taipei
A landslide dam overflowed twice around at around 2pm local time on Tuesday (6am GMT).
That released an estimated 60 million tonnes of water and triggering severe flooding in Guangfu township, Hualien county in eastern Taiwan.
The floodwaters washed away several key bridges, submerged vehicles and left the ground floors of homes underwater.
Many residents were trapped on upper storeys awaiting rescue.
According to local media, at least 14 people have been confirmed dead, 18 injured and 124 missing as of 6am local time on Wednesday (10pm GMT Tuesday).
We now have some fresh images coming in from Taiwan's Hualien county, the area hardest-hit by Super Typhoon Ragasa.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images