The second typhoon to hit southern China in a week landed on Thursday leaving officials concerned that a massive disaster could be on its way.

Since the beginning of this year, nearly 110 million Chinese in 27 provinces have been affected by heavy rains, floods, and landslides which have killed over 700 people and left 347 people missing, according to officials.

Some 645,000 homes and millions of acres of farmland have been destroyed since the beginning of July.

Thursday's storm saw water levels reaching critical levels at the country's massive Yangtze river dam, leaving nearby residents of Mianchuan fearful of a repeat of 1998's floods, which killed more than 4,000 people.

Chinese President Wen Jiabao has advised an increase in disaster prevention efforts, with his government allotting a massive $54.6 million for relief efforts.

"The country is now at a crucial stage in fighting the floods, with water levels on the Yangtze River, Huai River and Tai Lake surpassing safety limits. The situation is very serious as typhoons are coming," Wen said on Thursday.

Meanwhile local authorities have begun evacuating endangered people and 287,000 military personnel have been mobilized to assist with rescue work.

Groups including the Red Cross, the Chinese Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, and the ACT Alliance are assisting the government with relief efforts.