Schools shut, flights cancelled as Typhoon Ragasa nears Hong Kong

Hong Kong shut schools and cancelled flights on Tuesday as Super Typhoon Ragasa neared the financial centre. The powerful storm posed a wide threat to lives and homes, prompting authorities in mainland China to order businesses and schools to shut down in at least 10 cities across the nation's south, affecting tens of millions of people.

The super typhoon was generating maximum sustained winds of 220 kilometres per hour near its centre while moving west across the South China Sea, according to Hong Kong's weather service.