Typhoon Gaemi has reached southeastern China after moving across the Taiwan Strait. The typhoon has prompted warnings of rising water levels in rivers, flash floods, and urban flooding in cities and provinces that have recently been affected by heavy rainfall. This is the third and most powerful typhoon to hit China’s eastern coast this year. It made landfall in Fujian province at 7:50 PM local time (11:50 GMT) on Thursday after striking Taiwan with wind gusts of up to 227 km/h (141 mph), marking some of the strongest wind speeds recorded in the western Pacific.

Ahead of the typhoon’s arrival, 240,800 people were evacuated in Fujian province. Although the typhoon has weakened slightly after hitting Putian, a city with over 3 million residents, Gaemi and its massive storm bands are expected to bring heavy rainfall to at least 10 Chinese provinces in the coming days. The arrival of Gaemi has led many to compare it to Typhoon Doksuri last year, which caused historic flooding even as far as Beijing and resulted in nationwide losses of nearly $30 billion.

Authorities have issued warnings that water levels in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, as well as the major freshwater lakes Poyang and Dongting in central China, could rise to dangerous levels as seen in early July after intense summer rains. Beijing has further cautioned that Gaemi’s high moisture content could lead to heavy rainfall in the Chinese capital, approximately 2,000 km (1,200 miles) north of Putian, even as the storm weakens to a tropical depression. Officials emphasize that Gaemi’s rainfall could cause flash floods and flooding events, particularly in parts of northern China, where the ground remains saturated after being struck by a system of storms earlier in the week.

Earlier this week, Gaemi intensified the seasonal rains in the Philippines, leading to a death toll of 22, with at least three people missing, according to police reports. The Philippine Coast Guard reported that an oil tanker, MT Terra Nova, carrying about 1.4 million liters of industrial fuel oil, sank off the coast of Bataan province early Thursday, though rescuers managed to save 15 of the 16 crew members.

In Taiwan, Gaemi has caused three fatalities, triggered flooding, and sunk a cargo ship after hitting the island on Wednesday evening. Some parts of southern Taiwan are expected to have recorded rainfall of 2,200 mm (about 86.6 inches) since Tuesday. The storm knocked out power to around half a million households, but most have since been restored, according to the utility company, Taipower. In addition to the three deaths, the typhoon has injured 380 people in Taiwan.

Taiwan’s fire department reported that a Tanzanian-flagged cargo ship with nine Burmese nationals aboard sank off the coast of the southern port city of Kaohsiung. Three of the crew members have since been found alive on shore, as stated by Taiwan’s coast guard. Taiwanese media have broadcast images of flooded streets in cities and districts across the island. Offices, schools, and financial markets were closed for a second consecutive day on Thursday. Train operations were suspended until 3:00 PM (07:00 GMT), and all domestic flights, as well as 195 international flights, were canceled.