The eighth typhoon of the year triggered continuous downpours and strong winds in Fujian and its neighbouring Zhejiang province before the landing, which forced the evacuation of nearly one million people to safety.

Five houses were destroyed as the front of the typhoon brought 700 mm rainfall to Wenzhou city in Zhejiang just after 8 a.m. Sunday.

Three adults and a four-year-old boy were buried in debris about 8.20 a.m. as the torrential rain brought down five houses. A child later died after emergency treatment failed, the city's flood-control headquarters said.

More than 300 houses had collapsed, and 16,200 hectares of farmland were inundated. The city's airport was closed and 56 roads were cut off by rainstorms.

The National Meteorological Centre (NMC) forecast that violent rainstorms would come along with Morakot to hit southern parts of Jiangsu, southeastern areas in Anhui, northeastern areas of Jiangxi, Shanghai, most parts of Zhejiang and Fujian, and Taiwan, from Sunday night to Monday.

The centre also warned of possible flooding along waters near the Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province, as downpour in the region could reach 100 to 130 mm.

NMC experts said the typhoon could remain very powerful for some time, and advised people in areas under its influence to stay at safe places.