TYPHOON Ragasa made landfall in China today after killing at least 17 people in Taiwan overnight and 10 in the Philippines a day earlier.

Ragasa is described as one of the strongest storms to hit Asia in years, despite an annual storm season between May and October.

Today, it whipped up waves taller than lampposts on Hong Kong promenades and churned rough seas along China’s southern coast.

Nearly 1.9 million people were evacuated from southern China in advance, with officials warning of a month’s worth of rain in a single day in Zhuhai.

Train services in Guangxi were suspended, while schools, factories and transport in several cities shut down. 

Some areas distant from the landfall zone were prepared to reopen as winds weakened. 

Beijing has allocated tens of millions of dollars for relief efforts.

In Taiwan, 17 people were confirmed dead after heavy rain caused a barrier lake in Hualien County to overflow, sending torrents of mud and water through Guangfu township.

Roads turned into rivers, sweeping away vehicles and furniture, and forcing more than half of the town’s 8,450 residents to seek safety on higher ground.

Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai and Vice-President Hsiao Bi-khim visited the area to meet residents. 

Mr Cho pledged full support for the families of the victims and called for an inquiry into the response. 

“For the 14 who have tragically passed away, we must investigate why evacuation orders were not carried out in the areas we had asked for, which led to such a tragedy,” he said before the toll rose. 

“This is not about assigning blame, but about uncovering the truth.”

In Hong Kong, the typhoon skirted the coastline, injuring 90 people and triggering landslides and flooding. 

Authorities opened 50 more temporary shelters, where nearly 900 people have taken refuge.

Ragasa was weakened from super to severe typhoon status as it caused today’s destruction, but still packed winds of up to 150mph. 

Equivalent to a category five hurricane, it is the world’s strongest storm so far this year.

In the northern Philippines, at least 10 people were killed on Tuesday, including seven fishermen who drowned when their boat capsized in rough seas off Santa Ana, Cagayan province. 

Five more remain missing. 

Nearly 700,000 people were affected by the storm, with 25,000 forced into emergency shelters.