A SUPER typhoon that forced mass evacuations in the northern Philippines, killing at least three people, is now bearing down on Hong Kong, southern China and Taiwan.

Super Typhoon Ragasa was generating winds of up to 137mph today as it swept across the South China Sea, with Hong Kong officials warning it posed a ”serious threat.”

Shenzhen authorities planned to evacuate 400,000 people, while Taiwan’s weather service warned of ”extremely torrential rain” in the east.

Its storm has a radius of about 200 miles. 

In the Philippines, Ragasa — locally known as Nando — brought gusts of up to 183mph, triggering landslides, flooding and blackouts in several provinces. 

More than 8,200 people were evacuated in Cagayan province alone.

Ragasa, the 14th weather disturbance to strike the Philippines this year, arrived as both chambers of Congress and authorities investigate a corruption scandal over alleged kickbacks that left flood control projects substandard or unfinished.

On Sunday, thousands protested against the scandal, which involves an estimated 118.5 billion pesos (£1.53bn) in projects, even as the approaching typhoon worsened weather conditions.