Typhoon lashes south China after killing 28 in Philippines

Hong Kong and southern China hunkered down under red alert as strong winds and heavy rain from Typhoon Mangkhut lash the densely populated coast.

The biggest storm this year left at least 28 dead from landslides and drownings as it sliced through the northern Philippines on Saturday.

Nearly half a million people were evacuated from seven cities in Guangdong province, the gambling enclave of Macau closed down casinos for the first time and the Hong Kong Observatory told people to stay away from the Victoria Harbour, where storm surges battered the waterfront reinforced with sandbags. Mangkhut is due to make landfall in Guangdong later Sunday.

The national meteorological center says southern China "will face a severe test caused by wind and rain" and urged officials to prepare for possible disasters.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.