Four people have been killed in southern China following the landfall by Typhoon Mujigae in the area.

Typhoon Mujigae left four people dead on Sunday as it descended on southern China while packing winds of up to 180 km/h, state news agency Xinhua reported.

According to the agency, one fisherman died and 16 people went missing after the typhoon slammed into the coastal city of Zhanjiang on Sunday afternoon.

Three more people were reported dead when a tornado hit Foshan, near the provincial capital, Guangdong.

It is predicted that the typhoon will move northwest at about 20 km/h hour, and arrive in Guangxi Zhuang late Sunday.

Over 24,000 workers in Guangdong were put on standby to deal with any potential power outages caused by the typhoon.

More than 500 tourists were also stranded on Fangji Island. Authorities began to evacuate tourists from the island on Saturday.

The typhoon hit China as millions of Chinese were on holiday to celebrate the October 1 National Day.