Typhoon Gaemi live: China braces for storm after death toll hits 25 in Taiwan and Philippines

Typhoon Gaemi is now approaching the Chinese mainland after pounding Taiwan , where it flooded streets, knocked out power and killed at least three people.

The typhoon had already killed 22 people in the Philippines on its way past that country, adding to flooding and landslides from already high monsoon rainfall , and taking the total death toll from the storm up to 25.

A cargo ship off Taiwan and an oil tanker off the Philippines sank on Thursday morning, both in rough seas.

In the Philippines authorities are searching for a missing crew member, and warn they face a “race against time” to contain a huge oil spill that is heading for Manila.

In Taiwan, schools, offices and financial markets remained closed for a second day on Thursday as officials assessed the damage from Gaemi.

The storm has weakened after landfall in Taiwan but is still packing maximum sustained winds of 140kmh near the centre and gusts up to 215kmh, equivalent to a category 3 hurricane.

Emergency responses were put in place and flights and trains have been cancelled in Fujian as the typhoon is expected to bring heavy rainfall and gale-force winds to parts of southeast China that have already been soaked in rain for days.