China evacuates 630,000 as typhoon Chanchu hits coast

Powerful storm Chanchu killed two children in southern China today to bring its death toll in Asia to 39, while flooding scores of homes in an area where more than 600,000 people were evacuated.

Chanchu was earlier called the severest typhoon to strike the region so early in the season. It was downgraded to a severe tropical storm by today, but already had been blamed for 37 deaths in the Philippines last weekend.