Typhoon Ragasa made landfall in southern China on Wednesday, according to the national meteorological service, after impacting Hong Kong and resulting in at least 15 fatalities in Taiwan.
The National Meteorological Centre reported that Ragasa made landfall on the shore of Hailing Island, Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province, at around 5 PM (0900 GMT) on September 24.
In Yangjiang, AFP observed violent gusts tearing signs from buildings, uprooting trees, and demolishing fences.
On Wednesday, the formidable typhoon trembled structures as torrential rain inundated the metropolis of over two million inhabitants for many hours.
An AFP writer observed firetrucks traversing predominantly vacant streets as the winds lashed trees along the roadway and overturned motorbikes that had been stationed on the sidewalk.
The meteorological agency reported that at the moment of impact, the peak wind velocity around the storm’s center was 145 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour).
