‘Most Powerful Storm on Earth’: 40ft Waves Hit Asia (Video)

Already, more than 10,000 residents of the Philippine regions of northern and central Luzon have been evacuated due to the storm. The Philippine meteorological agency warned of “potentially very destructive” conditions and “a high risk of life-threatening storm (surges)” in those regions. They added: “Homes and property can be rebuilt, but lives lost can never be replaced.”

While the storm continues its path, 17 people have been reported dead due to the dangerous conditions in Taiwan, following a barrier lake overflow. In that situation, scientists described the breach as “a tsunami from the mountains,” with an estimated 15.4 million tons of water – equivalent to 6,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools – being unleashed.

And the latest is that the storm has hit Hong Kong with winds reaching 100 miles per hour. Waves have overtaken portions of the city’s financial hub, and flooded streets. In one video, a wall of water shattered glass and broke through a hotel lobby.

In the low-lying regions of China – like Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Guangzhou – per the BBC, officials are warning: "From this morning to tomorrow morning, in the north-western part of the South China Sea, there will be an area of very rough to high seas with wave heights of seven (22 feet) to 12 meters (40 feet)."

As of Wednesday morning, it appears that the storm has weakened as it heads further into China. It has been downgraded from a level 8 typhoon to a level 3.

More as this develops.