Typhoon Saudel disrupts travel and triggers emergency response in East China

Saudel, which entered the East China Sea early on Wednesday morning, prompted the cancellation of 16 flights at Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport. Affected carriers included Peach, China Airlines, EVA Air, Starlux and Thai Lion Air.

Hong Kong Airlines fully cancelled its HX658/HX659 flights between the city and Okinawa in Japan, while HK Express rescheduled its Okinawa-bound services to August 27 in response to the weather system.

If it does make landfall on the Chinese mainland, Saudel would be the seventh typhoon to do so this year. Previous ones, including Bavi, brought torrential rain and floods.

The National Meteorological Centre forecasts that Saudel will make landfall between Thursday night and Friday morning along the coast from Xiangshan in eastern Zhejiang, to Fuqing in southeast Fujian province.

Zhejiang province has raised its emergency response to Level 3 – the third highest of four levels – and closed all coastal scenic areas, evacuating more than 4,100 tourists from island resorts.