One million residents of Guangdong, in southern China, were evacuated before the powerful storm made landfall on Wednesday. At least 18 people have been killed along its path this week.

Ragasa is expected to make landfall from Shanwei in Guangdong province to Wenchang in Hainan sometime on Wednesday.

Thousands were evacuated and hundreds of flights have been canceled ahead of the major storm, equivalent in wind speed to a Category 5 hurricane.