China braced on Monday for a record third typhoon in a week after two powerful storms smashed into its eastern coast over the weekend leaving at least 14 people dead and large areas under water.
  
Over 1.24 million people were evacuated from areas in seven provinces and five people were missing after Typhoons Saola and Damrey drenched the coastline from Friday, state press said in initial damage reports.
  
"We are still dealing with the impact of Typhoons Saola and Damrey and now Typhoon Haikui is heading towards us," Minister of Water Resources Chen Lei said in a statement.
  
"Within seven days our nation may be hit successively by three typhoons, the first time such circumstances have arisen since records have been taken."
  
Chen issued an emergency warning to people in the eastern Zhejiang province to brace for the arrival of Haikui on Tuesday, with the storm expected to dump up to 70 centimetres (28 inches) of rain in some areas.
 
Haikui may get stronger as it approaches the coast, Chen said in statements posted on his ministry's website, as he ordered areas adjacent to Zhejiang, including Shanghai and Jiangsu province, to step up precautions.
  
At least nine people were confirmed dead and four missing after Damrey tore through the northeastern Liaoning province, with the toll likely to rise, the provincial government said.