Typhoon Ragasa heads to Taiwan, Hong Kong, China after lashing Philippines. China has evacuated hundreds of thousands of people and ordered at least 10 cities to close schools and some businesses as the strongest storm of the year bears down on its southern coast. A super typhoon that caused thousands of people to evacuate from northern Philippine villages is now making its way towards Hong Kong, the southern parts of mainland China, and Taiwan, where people are preparing for more extreme weather. In Hong Kong, officials warned of a “serious threat” from Super Typhoon Ragasa, comparing the risk with some of the most destructive storms in the city’s recent history. Ragasa was generating winds with maximum sustained speeds of 220 kilometres per hour (137 miles per hour) at its centre as it churned across the South China Sea early on Tuesday, according to Hong Kong’s weather service.