Super Typhoon Ragasa unleashed hurricane-force winds and heavy rains on Hong Kong and southern China on Wednesday morning local time, as officials in Taiwan reported 14 deaths from the strongest storm to hit the planet this year.

The big picture: Officials in Taiwan's Hualien County told media that the deaths were due to a lake barrier bursting during the storm and that 124 people remained missing. • The typhoon's outer rim has been pummeling Taiwan since Monday. • The storm also pummeled the Philippines, resulting in three deaths.

Between the lines: Climate change is increasing the magnitude by which storms rapidly intensify, studies show. • Higher rainfall rates are another indication that climate change is influencing nature's strongest storms.

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