Nearly 1m people have been evacuated from the southeast coast of China, where Typhoon Morakot is expected to make landfall later today after yesterday lashing Taiwan.
473,300 residents of the coastal province of Zhejiang have been moved, while more than 480,000 people were evacuated from neighbouring Fujian province, according to the Xinhua news agency.
More than 35,000 ships have been called in to port as the storm closes in, bringing torrential rain and heavy wind.
The provincial highways management authority said a number of expressways in the region have been closed as a precaution.
Parts of Fujian had already reported 30cm of rain since early yesterday.
In Taiwan, rescuers say one person was killed and at least 29 were missing after Morakot lashed the island yesterday.
Troops were mobilised to rescue tens of thousands of residents trapped in the island's worst flooding in 50 years, officials said.
The typhoon had dumped a massive 2.5m of rain on Taiwan's southern Pingtung county by early this morning, flooding at least three coastal townships.
Forecasters are expecting Morakot to make landfall in China by Sunday evening.
