China braces for Ragasa, possibly the strongest storm of the year

Super Typhoon Ragasa, the 18th typhoon of the year, is forecast to make landfall along the coast of south China's Guangdong Province on Wednesday, China Media Group (CMG) reported. It could become the most powerful storm to strike China so far this year.

As of Wednesday morning, the typhoon has left 14 people dead, 34 injured and 124 missing in China's Taiwan, according to local authorities.

Ragasa has unleashed torrential rains across southern and eastern China, with Wednesday marking the peak of typhoon-related downpours. Parts of Guangdong are bracing for extreme rainfall, while the core area of heavy rainfall is expected to shift westward to south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Thursday.

The Hong Kong Observatory issued the No. 10 Hurricane Signal – the city's highest-level tropical cyclone warning – at 2:40 a.m. Wednesday. Just five minutes later, a yellow rainstorm warning was also put in place.

China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Tuesday elevated the typhoon emergency response to Level III for Guangdong and Hainan provinces.

Over 1.04 million people had been relocated across Guangdong by 5:30 p.m., the provincial emergency management department said on Tuesday. Local authorities are reinforcing infrastructure and preparing for flooding risks, including possible stormwater backflow.

Ragasa has left at least five people dead, four missing and many others injured in the Philippines, where flooding and landslides have been reported in several regions, according to CMG.

(With input from Xinhua)