The storm has already lashed Japan's Okinawa island chain and Taiwan. It killed five people in the Philippines earlier this week.
The typhoon could be the strongest typhoon to strike Zhejiang province, just south of Shanghai, since 1949, according to China's National Meteorological Centre (NMC).
Super typhoon Chan-hom's forecast path would see it travel to the east of Shanghai, after making landfall to the city's south with it winds of up to 210km/h.
Large-scale evacuations have been in place, and nearly 30,000 fishing vessels have returned to harbour in Zhenjiang after 10-metre waves rolled in, state news agency Xinhua reports.
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Shanghai issued a typhoon alert on Friday as several cities in the province experienced strong rain and powerful gales.
The typhoon is the second storm to hit China in as many days after severe tropical storm Linfa made hit the coast of the southern province of Guangdong.
Following closely on the heels of Chan-hom, Typhoon Nangka is swelling over the Pacific Ocean and is forecast to head northwest in the direction of Japan's Ryukyu Islands in coming days.
