Sept 22 (Reuters) - Hong Kong International Airport will

suspend all passenger flights for 36 hours from Tuesday evening,

Qantas Airways ( QUBSF ) said, as the Asian financial hub prepares for one

of its strongest super typhoons in years.

Hong Kong's Airport will be closed from 8 p.m. (1200 GMT) on

September 23 to 8 a.m. on September 25, Qantas said in a

statement, adding that it would contact customers who are

affected.

A spokesperson for Airport Authority Hong Kong said it is

closely monitoring the developments regarding the super typhoon,

named Ragasa, and has commenced preparations to deal with the

storm. But it has not made an official announcement on the

closure.

Hong Kong's Observatory said it would issue the lowest

typhoon signal at noon on Monday, upgrading it to the second

highest on Monday night between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

The weather is expected to deteriorate rapidly from Tuesday

and gale-force to storm-force winds will impact the densely

populated city on Wednesday, with winds expected to reach

hurricane force offshore and on high ground.

Across the city, residents started stockpiling daily

necessities on Monday morning. Long queues formed at

supermarkets where products like milk had already sold out,

while vegetables were being sold for more than triple their

normal price at fresh markets, according to Reuters witnesses.

Cathay Pacific Airways ( CPCAF ), the city's largest carrier, said on

Sunday it was closely monitoring the potential impact of the

storm and while its flights were not currently affected, that

could change as the situation developed.

The Civil Aviation Department did not immediately

respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The Philippines suspended work and classes across Metro

Manila and large parts of the country on Monday as Ragasa moved

toward northern Luzon, threatening destructive winds and heavy

rain.

(Reporting by Angela Christy in Bengaluru, Jessie Pang and

Farah Master in Hong Kong; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and

Muralikumar Anantharaman)