Super Typhoon Ragasa headed into the south of mainland China on Wednesday, after causing a lake burst that left at least 14 dead in Taiwan.
At least 14 people were killed and 18 were injured when the decades-old lake barrier burst in the eastern Hualien County after Ragasa pounded the island, according to regional officials.
The super typhoon killed at least two people while ripping through the northern Philippines.
Hong Kong saw scores of fallen trees and flooding in multiple neighbourhoods, with the storm surge smashing the glass doors of an upscale hotel and flooding its lobby. Ragasa gradually moved away from the city, but hurricane-force winds continued to lash into the day.
The city’s weather forecaster, the Hong Kong Observatory, issued the highest level of typhoon warning overnight, a T10 signal at 2.40am on Wednesday. Ragasa has brought “significant storm surge”, with waters at coastal areas rising more than three metres above the reference level, the observatory added.
Macau, nearby, also saw widespread flooding. The casino hub suspended power supply to some low-lying areas, according to utility company CEM.
China’s Ministry of Emergency Management said the typhoon is expected to make landfall along Guangdong’s coast between Zhuhai and Zhanjiang from midday to late Wednesday.
Authorities across mainland China ordered businesses and schools to shut down in at least 10 cities across the nation’s south, affecting tens of millions of people.
Streets were mostly empty as the wind picked up on Wednesday morning in Yangjiang, a city west of Hong Kong near where the typhoon is expected to make landfall.
One local shopkeeper said she was not sure if she would be able to open her convenience store today. “It will depend on the weather,” she said.
The Yangjiang railway station – normally bustling with activity – stood empty, with rail travel suspended on Wednesday across the province of Guangdong.
Multiple districts in Hong Kong saw instances of flooding, according to images circulated on social media. At the Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel, next to a theme park, a man was seen losing his balance after a storm surge shattered the glass front doors and swept into its lobby, one of the videos showed.
“We are doing all we can to mitigate the impact brought about by the super typhoon,” a spokesperson for the hotel told Agence France-Presse.
Floodwaters rushed into the seaside Heng Fa Chuen residential estate and covered its interior courtyards, another video clip showed. Strong winds ripped off the top of a pedestrian footbridge, while many of the city’s tall buildings swayed and rattled in the harsh winds.
A five-year-old boy and his mother fell into the sea on Tuesday afternoon while they were watching the waves in the Chai Wan district, according to police. Both were in critical condition after they were rushed to hospital. The boy’s 40-year-old father, who reportedly jumped into the water to save his family, was also hospitalised.
Rail operator MTR said train services on open sections were suspended, with limited service available on the underground sections. Authorities said more than 760 people sought refuge at the 50 temporary shelters across Hong Kong.
