Airlines in East Asia canceled hundreds of flights on Tuesday as China’s Pearl River delta and the financial hub of Hong Kong braced for Super Typhoon Ragasa, which authorities have warned could have a "catastrophic" impact on the densely populated region.

Meteorologists have warned that Ragasa, the most powerful typhoon to hit China this year, was maintaining its strength as it approached and was expected to make landfall in central or western coastal areas of Guangdong province on Wednesday.

The super typhoon, which is the equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, will likely bring extensive disruption to the southern Chinese manufacturing base and Hong Kong.

The storm moved away from the Philippines on Tuesday morning after battering its northern island and killing at least three people, and was moving west-northwest at 12 miles an hour across the South China Sea, with maximum winds of up to........

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