Two unusually close typhoons are hurtling across the Western Pacific Ocean towards multiple parts of Asia and are expected to lash China, Japan and Taiwan with ferocious tropical storms.

Key points: Typhoon Lekima is set to hit mainland China early on Saturday

Typhoon Lekima is set to hit mainland China early on Saturday The equivalent of a category four hurricane, the typhoon has caused China to issue a red alert

The equivalent of a category four hurricane, the typhoon has caused China to issue a red alert It is the strongest typhoon to hit China since 2014, when typhoon Kalmaegi slammed into Hainan killing 11 people

Typhoon Lekima — equivalent to a category four hurricane — is barrelling towards Taiwan, Japan's southern archipelago and eastern China, including densely populated Shanghai.

Swirling in Lekima's wake is Typhoon Krosa, which has intensified into a category two storm headed north towards the larger northern islands of Japan and cities such as Kyoto.

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Lekima has churned up rough seas from the north of the Philippines to Japan's southern Ryukyu Islands, but it is expected to hit China's Zhejiang province on the eastern coast early on Saturday morning.

It had briefly strengthened into a super typhoon on Thursday as it swept over Japan's southern archipelago, however its intensity has slightly weakened as it continued on towards China, still with powerful winds of 220 kph.

Krosa is predicted to make landfall early next week, although its exact path is still uncertain.

China's National Meteorological Center has issued its most severe "red alert" and said the typhoon was the strongest in China since 2014, when typhoon Kalmaegi slammed into Hainan, killing 11 people and causing almost $US3 billion ($4.4 billion) in damage.

It has issued gale warnings for the Yangtze river delta region, which includes Shanghai.

Taiwan cancelled flights and ordered markets and schools to close on Friday as the typhoon continued north-west, cutting power to more than 40,000 homes and forcing the island's high-speed rail to suspend most of its services.

Fishing boats docked at Taiwan's Wushi Harbor before Typhoon Lekima approached. ( AFP: Udndata )

The island's authorities issued landslide warnings after a magnitude-6 earthquake struck its north-eastern coast on Thursday, hours before the typhoon approached.

More than 300 flights to and from Taiwan have been cancelled and cruise liners have been asked to delay their arrival in Shanghai.

Typhoon Lekima had strengthened into a super typhoon on Thursday but has been downgraded to the equivalent of a category four hurricane. ( AP: Chiang Ying-ying )

Some trains from Shanghai have also suspended ticket sales over the weekend.

Heavy rain and level 10 gales are expected to hit Shanghai throughout Friday and continue until Sunday, with 16,000 suburban residents set to be evacuated, the Shanghai Daily reported.

China's Ministry of Water Resources has also warned of flood risks in the eastern, downstream sections of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers until Wednesday.

Chinese police officers evacuated tourists from cruise ships in Zhoushan city in eastern China's Zhejiang province. ( AFP: Zou Xunyong )

Meteorologists have speculated that after the weekend, the twin typhoons could feed off each other, with Krosa drawing in some of Lekima's moisture.

As Lekima tracks up the coast of China, its wind field could also steer or deflect Krosa.

ABC/Reuters