Typhoon Ragasa hits south China after killing 15 in Taiwan

Fierce winds, pounding rain, and rough seas battered southern China and Hong Kong on Wednesday as powerful Typhoon Ragasa churned toward millions of people in Guangdong Province after killing at least 15 in Taiwan.

Ragasa edged away from densely populated Hong Kong and made landfall in Guangdong, after Hong Kong's weather service ranked the storm the strongest yet in the northwestern Pacific this year.

The typhoon's passage in Taiwan killed at least 15 and injured 18 when a decades-old lake barrier burst in eastern Hualien county under the storm's heavy rains, according to regional officials.

Authorities earlier said 152 people were unaccounted for, but later revised that figure down to 17, saying that they have made contact with more than 100 of those previously deemed missing.

More than 7,600 people were evacuated due to Ragasa, and footage released by the fire agency showed flooded streets, half-submerged cars, and uprooted trees.

The typhoon trampled parts of the northern Philippines earlier this week and killed at least eight people, including seven fishermen.

Scientists warn that storms are becoming more powerful as the world warms due to the effects of human-driven climate change.

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.

The storm made landfall along the coast of Hailing Island, near Yangjiang City, around 5 p.m. (0900 GMT), Chinese meteorologists said.

Streets were mostly empty as winds intensified on Wednesday afternoon in Yangjiang, which lies west of Hong Kong.

An AFP journalist saw flying debris carried by strong winds that ripped advertisements off buildings, as well as broken fences and fallen branches on the ground.

The Yangjiang train station -- normally bustling with activity, locals said -- stood empty, with rail travel suspended Wednesday across the province of Guangdong.

The casino hub of Macau -- which also saw widespread flooding -- has suspended power supply to some low-lying areas, according to utility company CEM.

AFP