Typhoon Ragasa makes landfall in China after 17 killed in Taiwan

Summary

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

Live Reporting

Edited by Jacqueline Howard and Tinshui Yeung, with Laura Bicker in southern China, Lok Lee in Taipei, Martin Yip in Hong Kong

Taping windows and sea patrols: A city in preparation modepublished at 07:01 BST 23 September
Laura Bicker
China correspondent

Image source, BBC/Laura Bicker
Image source, BBC/Laura Bicker
I am here in Zhuhai, a city in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, where people are also deep in preparation mode.
Businesses, restaurants and homeowners are taping their windows. The police are patrolling the sea front calling on people to stay back, but some are still taking the last opportunity of the day to get photos of the incoming waves.
"Aren’t you scared," I asked.
"No, no," they said, as they filmed a video and snapped a selfie.
A bridge connecting Zhuhai to Hong Kong still remains open.
Aftermath of typhoon in the Philippinespublished at 06:46 BST 23 September

It's scenes of devastation today in northern Philippines, a day after Ragasa swept the region, killing at least one person in a landslide.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Ragasa edges closer to Guangdongpublished at 06:34 BST 23 September

Super Typhoon Ragasa poses a "severe threat" to China's eastern Guangdong province, the Hong Kong weather authority posted in an update about an hour ago, as the typhoon edges closer to Guangdong's coast.
"Ragasa has an extensive circulation with fierce winds, posing a severe threat to the coast of Guangdong," it said. Ragasa is expected to make landfall in Guangdong on Wednesday.
As of 13:00 local time (06:00 GMT) on Tuesday, Ragasa was estimated to be about 390km southeast of Hong Kong, authorities said. They added that they planned to raise the storm alert to category 8 at 14:20 local time (07:20 GMT).
"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 wrote in a Facebook post. "The Government is now making arrangements to release its employees accordingly."
Typhoon expected to make 'frontal assault' on Guangdongpublished at 05:59 BST 23 September

Ragasa is expected to brush past Hong Kong and make landfall in China on Wednesday.
The super typhoon is expected to make a "frontal assault" on the southern Guangdong province - a manufacturing hub home to thousands of factories.
China has ordered at least 10 cities to shut down schools and businesses on Tuesday, AFP reported.
Authorities in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, which neighbours Hong Kong, had earlier said they were set to evacuate 400,000 people and urged residents to stay home.
Watch: People rescued from overflowing riverpublished at 05:51 BST 23 September

Rescue efforts took place in the northern province of Ilocos Sur in the Philippines on Monday after torrential rains caused a river to overflow.
Media caption,
Watch: People rescued from overflowing river after super typhoon hits the Philippines
What is a super typhoon?published at 05:45 BST 23 September

Image source, Getty Images
Typhoons, cyclones and hurricanes are similar types of storms, but they go by different names depending on where in the world they form.
Typhoons form in the West Pacific, close to places like China, Japan, and the Philippines; cyclones form over the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean; while hurricanes develop over the North American and Carribean regions.
A super typhoon is a very violent storm, equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, packing winds of 253km/h (157 mph).
In September last year, super typhoon Yagi killed at least 127 people in Vietnam and left dozens missing. It damaged bridges, torn roofs off buildings and triggered widespread flooding and landslides.
Hong Kong braces for travel chaospublished at 05:44 BST 23 September

Image source, Getty Images
Hong Kong International Airport says it is expecting "significant disruption to flight operations" from 18:00 local time Tuesday until the next day.
More than 500 Cathay Pacific flights are expected to be cancelled, while Hong Kong Airlines said it would stop all departures from the city.
Read more about how Hong Kong is preparing for the typhoon.
World's most powerful storm this year heads towards Hong Kongpublished at 05:43 BST 23 September

Image source, Getty Images
Super typhoon Ragasa, the strongest storm of the year, is making its way towards Hong Kong after displacing thousands in the Philippines.
Hong Kong is bracing for travel chaos as its airport - one of Asia's busiest - is set to ground most of its flights. The city has also shut schools and some businesses, as residents have wiped off supermarket shelves as they prepared to hunker down.
It comes a day after Ragasa lashed through the Philippines, killing at least one.
Millions could be impacted by the storm, which is expected to make landfall in China's Guangdong province on Wednesday.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest updates.