A man throws a fishing net along a swollen river following tropical storm Wipha fueled monsoon rains in Marikina, Philippines on July 22. (AP)

Floodwaters driven by torrential rains ground life in the Philippine capital to a halt on Tuesday with tens of thousands evacuated from their homes and at least two people believed missing.

A tropical storm is intensifying and is expected to reach typhoon strength before hitting southern China's coast on Sunday.

Floodwaters driven by torrential rains ground life in the Philippine capital to a halt on July 22 with tens of thousands evacuated from their homes and at least two people believed missing. Schools and government offices in Manila and the surrounding provinces were closed after a night of rain that saw the region's Marikina River burst its banks.

As of July 20 morning, three people were reported dead in the Philippines, while three were injured and three others missing due to the effects of Wipha.