(LONDON) — Typhoon Ragasa swept along the southern coast of China on Wednesday, bringing lashing rain, fierce winds and coastal flooding as it made its way toward landfall.

The powerful storm was forecast to make landfall in the evening near Guangdong, China, where local officials called for about two million people to be evacuated. The storm was expected to churn through China and along the northern borders of Vietnam and Laos, according to local weather officials.

It was expected to weaken as it approached landfall near the Leizhou Peninsula, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, which is run by the U.S. Navy.

Ragasa had left a trail of destruction in recent days as it passed Taiwan — where officials said at least 15 people had died — and the Philippines and moved toward mainland China.

At the height of the storm, Hong Kong issued it’s highest-level warning — a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. That level was since lowered and, by mid-afternoon, the storm had passed by the city, but officials were still urging caution.

Parts of Hong Kong were flooded, the Hong Kong Observatory said, adding that there “may be hidden danger” in the city.

“Although the tropical cyclone is moving away from Hong Kong, gales are expected to persist for some time,” the observatory said in a mid-afternoon update. “Please continue to stay indoors until winds moderate. Do not touch electric cables that have been blown loose.”

Ragasa was churning on Wednesday afternoon about 98 nautical miles — or about 112 miles — west-southwest of Hong Kong, according to the U.S. Naval tracking center.

It had maximum sustained winds at the time of 105 knots, or about 120 mph, with gusts up to an estimated 130 knots, the center said, and driving waves up to 38 feet.

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