BEIJING (AFP) -- Torrential rains from Typhoon Kaemi have caused widespread flooding in southeastern China, with more bad weather that has already forced the evacuation of 700,000 people expected this week.

The typhoon, which hit southeast China's Fujian province on Tuesday packing winds of 120 kilometers (74 miles) an hour, was downgraded to a tropical storm on Wednesday morning but was still causing widespread chaos.

State television showed footage of torrential rains lashing the provincial capital of Fuzhou, as workers struggled to fasten power cables and make other preparations for the onslaught of the typhoon.

Local governments urged beleaguered citizens, still reeling from Tropical Storm Bilis -- which killed more than 600 people in the area after hitting on July 14 -- to brace for continued rainfall in the coming days.

Following Kaemi's landfall, the Fujian meteorological bureau issued an emergency order to prepare for flooding and landslides with up to 12 centimeters (4.8 inches) of rain along the coast.

Warnings were also issued in China's southern Guangdong province and Zhejiang province to the north of Fujian.

"Although Kaemi did not hit our province, we cannot sit idly by, we must prepare for the aftermath of the typhoon and prevent flood disasters caused by heavy rains," the Southern Daily quoted Guangdong vice governor Li Ronggen as saying. "We must place special attention to the safety of reservoirs and disasters like landslides, evacuate those in dangerous areas and prevent mishaps that can kill or injure people."

Bilis, which was downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm before it hit China on July 14, hovered over south central China for nearly 10 days, dumping massive rains and wreaking havoc in mountainous areas.

Kaemi, which means "ant" in Korean, pounded Taiwan with strong winds on Monday after earlier brushing past the Philippines, causing heavy rain in both places but not causing enormous damage.