Hurricane Harvey smashes into Texas with high wind, torrential rain; see pictures

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Tropical storm Harvey, the most powerful hurricane to hit the US mainland in 12 years, made landfall in central Texas coast with winds of 195 kmph, taking aim at the state's oil refining industry and knocking out power in more than a lakh homes. The National Hurricane Centre said Harvey made landfall between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor in Texas, the US state where roughly 17 per cent of America's crude oil output and nearly half of the country's refining capacity is located. Houston, the most populous city in Texas, is home to the country's largest refinery and petrochemical complex. (AP Photo)

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The storm, a Category 4 hurricane, had maximum sustained winds of 195 kmph, and was forecast to bring "catastrophic flooding due to heavy rainfall and storm surge. (Image: Reuters)

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Harvey has impacted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas electric system, with 104,000 customers without power, according to the corporation's official Twitter account. (AP Photo)

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It is the most powerful hurricane to hit the US mainland since 2005. Its effects could linger for days, with heavy rainfall through next week estimated to 40 inches in some areas. (Image: Reuters)

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Millions of residents along the south Texas coast saw hurricane-force winds that uprooted trees and power poles. (AP Photo)

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Residents had frantically stocked up on food, water and gas, while others heading out of the storm's path boarded up windows and doors of their homes and businesses. (AP Photo)

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Harvey is likely to stall over Texas, leading to catastrophic flooding. Harvey is the first natural disaster faced by the the Donald Trump administration. (AP Photo)

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Hong Kong's weather observatory said winds occasionally reached storm force in the southern part of the territory and hurricane force on high ground on Lantau Island to the west of the city where the airport is situated. (Representative image Reuters)

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The storm is expected to dump up to 89 cm of rain over a four or five-day period in parts of Texas. Satellite images showed the massive storm system extending hundreds of kilometres into the Gulf of Mexico. (Image: Reuters)

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It is forecast to be the most powerful hurricane to hit the mainland since Wilma struck Florida in 2005, and could inflict billions of dollars in damage. (AP Photo)

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A day before, oil and gas companies scrambled to prepare for Harvey, which developed so quickly in the Gulf of Mexico that many of them didn't have time to respond. (Image: Reuters)