HONG KONG: Hong Kong rushed to prepare for the arrival of Super Typhoon Ragasa on Tuesday (Sep 23), with officials warning of a "serious threat" comparable to some of the most destructive storms in the city's recent history. Ragasa was generating winds with maximum sustained speeds of 220kmh at its centre as it churned across the South China Sea early on Tuesday, having earlier lashed parts of the Philippines, according to Hong Kong's weather service. "Ragasa will pose a serious threat to Hong Kong, which could reach the levels of Hato in 2017 and Mangkhut in 2018," Hong Kong's number-two official Eric Chan said on Monday - referring to two super typhoons that each cost hundreds of millions in property damage. Hong Kong Observatory said it would issue its third-highest typhoon warning, T8, at 2.20pm on Tuesday, at which point businesses close up and most transport shuts down. It warned of rising sea levels, which it said would be similar to those seen during Typhoon Hato and Typhoon Mangkhut.