By New York Times

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Super Typhoon Ragasa whipped up strong winds, heavy rains and landslides in the northern Philippines today and prompted mass evacuations, school closures and hundreds of flight cancellations across the region as it bore down on Hong Kong and mainland China.

Ragasa briefly reached sustained wind speeds of 165 mph, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii, making it the most powerful storm in the world so far this year, stronger than Hurricane Erin in the Atlantic, which reached 160 mph.

The Philippines’ meteorological agency said Typhoon Ragasa had made landfall in the remote northern tip of Luzon, the country’s heavily populated northern island and home of the capital, Manila. The state weather bureau said it had caused heavy rains as well as landslides in many areas in the north, many of which were still struggling with flooding from previous storms.

There were no immediate reports of heavy damage, but officials in the mountainous northern Benguet province said a 74-year-old man died today when his car was crushed in a landslide. Three other vehicles were buried in the rubble, but it was not clear whether people were inside them.

Authorities in Luzon had earlier warned of “life-threatening conditions.”

The Philippines’ weather bureau had forecast floods and landslides, with more than 8 inches of rainfall expected in the northern parts of the country. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in Manila said that over 100,000 people had been forced to evacuate, with some 1,200 taking shelter in evacuation centers and the rest staying with relatives or friends.

Schools and government offices were closed in Manila and elsewhere today.

The storm was forecast to move westward, passing south of Taiwan toward Hong Kong, which it was expected to reach Wednesday. Neighboring Guangdong province in southern China was also bracing for widespread destruction.

Taiwan’s fire agency said it was evacuating about 3,500 people from its east and south. The government closed some national parks and told hikers to leave the area.

Cathay Pacific said it was canceling more than 500 flights, including all of its arrivals and departures from Hong Kong International Airport from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Thursday local time.

The city’s airport authority said in a statement today, however, that its three runways would remain open and operational during the typhoon. It added that a rest area would be set up for stranded passengers, and airport staff would distribute snacks, bottled water and blankets. Some restaurants and shops inside the terminal building would stay open for 24 hours.

Hong Kong’s education department said schools would be shut Tuesday and Wednesday.

Authorities in Shenzhen, a mainland Chinese city on the border with Hong Kong, said they planned to evacuate 400,000 people living in flood-prone regions and advised residents to stockpile food. Also in southern China, rail operators said train service in Guangdong would be reduced starting Tuesday afternoon and completely suspended by Wednesday.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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