A wrenching typhoon has inflicted chaos to parts of south-eastern China, with thousands evacuated and millions of homes left without power.

Typhoon Soudelor struck Fujian province late on Saturday night, bringing rains and gale force winds, state media said.

The typhoon earlier swept across Taiwan, leaving at least five people dead.

Although it has waned, the typhoon is expected to continue moving across the region in the coming hours.

Fujian raised its typhoon alert to the highest level in anticipation of the storm, with at least 163,000 people evacuated to higher ground. There are reports of more evacuations in neighbouring Zhejiang.