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World|life|September 17, 2018 / 12:56 PM
Typhoon Mangkhut rips through Hong Kong and China

AKIPRESS.COM - Hong Kong and southern China took cover on Sunday as strong winds and heavy rain from Typhoon Mangkhut lashed the densely populated coast, a day after the biggest storm to hit the Philippines this year left at least 64 people dead, Al Jazeera reports.

Two more people were killed as the storm made landfall in southern China, according to Chinese state broadcaster CGTN.

More than 2.4 million people had been evacuated from seven cities in Guangdong province of China, according to The Associated Press news agency.

In Hong Kong, authorities warned people to stay away from the Victoria Harbour landmark, where storm surges battered the waterfront reinforced with sandbags.

The gambling enclave of Macau, meanwhile, closed its casinos for the first time, according to the South China Morning Post, as nearly 50,000 fishing boats were called back to port.

Mangkhut made landfall in Guangdong around 5pm local time (09:00 GMT) on Sunday, packing wind speeds of 162 km/h, while 10-metre-high waves battered the coastline.

The national meteorological centre said southern China "will face a severe test caused by wind and rain" and urged officials to prepare for possible disasters.

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