A MONSTER super typhoon packing 137mph winds has slammed into the Philippines.

Super Typhoon Ragasa is the strongest storm to hit the region in years, grounding hundreds of flights, knocking out power and sparking mass evacuations across East Asia .

It tore through the Philippines ’ northern islands before roaring west across the South China Sea towards Taiwan, Hong Kong , Macau and southern China .

The Category 5 storm, named after the Filipino word for “rapid motion”, is lashing Calayan Island and Apayao province, leaving thousands without electricity.

More than 8,200 people were evacuated in Cagayan, with 1,220 sheltering in emergency centres.

Schools and offices were suspended in Manila and 29 provinces, with flood warnings in place.

The Philippines’ weather bureau w

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