Super Typhoon Lashes Philippines on Track Toward Hong Kong

Hong Kong is bracing for widespread damage and disruption from the approaching Super Typhoon Ragasa, which is currently churning off the northern coast of the Philippines with tree-snapping winds.

The powerful storm is packing maximum sustained winds of 230 kilometers (143 miles) per hour, according to the Hong Kong Observatory, equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale. The Philippines warned of life-threatening conditions.