China is to evacuate 400,000 people from the city of Shenzhen ahead of an incoming super typhoon, authorities have said.
"The city plans to relocate and resettle approximately 400,000 people, including those residing in temporary shelters, low-lying areas, and coastal regions," a post on Shenzhen's Emergency Management WeChat account said.
It comes as more than 10,000 evacuees sheltered in schools and evacuation centres in the Philippines as heavy rains and gale-force winds from Super Typhoon Ragasa lashed the country's far north.
The typhoon, which is gaining strength as it proceeds on a collision course with southern China, was expected to make landfall over the Philippines' Babuyan Islands around midday.
The sparsely populated islands lie about 740 kilometres south of Taiwan, where smaller-scale evacuations were also underway.
As of 11am local time (4am Irish time), maximum sustained winds of 215 kilometres per hour were reported at the storm's center, with gusts reaching up to 265 kph as it moved westward towards the Babuyans, the national weather service said.
"I woke up because of the strong wind. It was hitting the windows, and it sounded like a machine that was switched on," said Tirso Tugagao, a resident of Aparri, a coastal town in northern Cagayan province.
"I'm seeing from my house here that the high waves are crashing onto the shore," the 45-year-old teacher said. "I pray everyone will be safe."
Cagayan disaster chief Rueli Rapsing said that his team was prepared for "the worst".
President Ferdinand Marcos said on Facebook he was closely monitoring the situation and that all government agencies were "on alert to give help anywhere and whenever needed".
In Taiwan, the state weather service predicted a chance of "extremely torrential rain" in the country's east.
"Its storm radius is quite large, about 320 [kilometres]. Although the typhoon's center is still some distance away, its wide, strong wind field and outer circulation are already affecting parts of Taiwan."
James Wu, a local fire department officer, said that evacuations were ongoing in mountainous areas near Pingtung.
"What worries us more is that the damage could be similar to what happened during Typhoon Koinu two years ago," he added, describing a storm that saw utility poles collapse and sheet-metal roofs sent flying into the air.
Schools and government offices were closed today in the Manila region and across 29 Philippine provinces in anticipation of heavy rainfall.
Government weather specialist John Grender Almario said Sunday that "severe flooding and landslides" could be expected in the northern areas of the main island Luzon.
The threat of flooding from Ragasa comes just a day after thousands of Filipinos took to the streets to protest a growing corruption scandal involving flood control projects that were shabbily constructed or never completed.
The Philippines is the first major landmass facing the Pacific cyclone belt, and the archipelago is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, putting millions of people in disaster-prone areas in a state of constant poverty.
Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful as the world warms due to the effects of human-driven climate change.
Hong Kong Airport to shut for 36 hours
Meanwhile, Hong Kong International Airport will suspend all passenger flights for 36 hours from Tuesday evening, Qantas Airways said, as the Asian financial hub prepares for one of its strongest super typhoons in years.
Hong Kong's Airport will be closed from 8pm on 23 September to 8am on 25 September, Qantas said in a statement, adding that it would contact customers who are affected.
A spokesperson for Airport Authority Hong Kong said it is closely monitoring the developments regarding the super typhoon, named Ragasa, and has commenced preparations to deal with the storm. But it has not made an official announcement on the closure.
Hong Kong's Observatory said it would issue the lowest typhoon signal at noon on Monday, upgrading it to the second highest on Monday night between 8pm and 10pm.
The weather is expected to deteriorate rapidly from Tuesday and gale-force to storm-force winds will impact the densely populated city on Wednesday, with winds expected to reach hurricane force offshore and on high ground.
Across the city, residents started stockpiling daily necessities this morning.
Long queues formed at supermarkets where products like milk had already sold out, while vegetables were being sold for more than triple their normal price at fresh markets, according to witnesses.
Cathay Pacific Airways, the city's largest carrier, said on Sunday it was closely monitoring the potential impact of the storm and while its flights were not currently affected, that could change as the situation developed.
The Civil Aviation Department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
