Typhoon Saudel brought days of torrential rain to south-east China, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people and causing deadly flooding, landslips and infrastructure damage across four provinces.
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Key facts
- Putian, in Fujian province, recorded 416.5mm of rain in 24 hours, with surrounding villages topping 500mm.
- Almost 600,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas in Fujian.
- A landslip in Suichuan county, Jiangxi, killed three people, with nine others missing.
- More than 2,500 teachers and students were trapped in a school compound in Wenzhou, Zhejiang.
- At least 1,260 people were rescued in Putian after a river embankment collapsed, flattening 100 homes.
Typhoon Saudel brought days of torrential rain to the Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong provinces in south-east China last week, according to the Guardian’s weather tracker. The storm caused flooding, landslips and widespread infrastructure damage across the region.
The city of Putian, in Fujian province, recorded 416.5mm of rain in a 24-hour period between Thursday and Friday. Surrounding villages recorded more than 500mm in the same period, underlining the intensity of the downpours.
In Fujian, authorities estimate that almost 600,000 people were evacuated from high-risk, flood-prone areas. A further 128,000 people across 53 counties were affected in Jiangxi province, where emergency evacuations reached 9,000 people.
The extreme rainfall produced dangerous flash floods. More than 2,500 teachers and students were trapped in a school compound in the Zhejiang city of Wenzhou on Wednesday after extreme rainfall caused flash floods in low-lying areas.
In Putian, at least 1,260 people reportedly had to be rescued after a river embankment collapsed on Thursday, flattening 100 homes. The scale of the rescue effort reflected the speed with which floodwaters overwhelmed communities.
The disaster also proved deadly. On Saturday, a landslip in a village of Suichuan county, in Jiangxi province, killed three people, with nine others remaining missing at the time of reporting.
Why it matters
Typhoon Saudel's torrential rains displaced hundreds of thousands of people and caused fatalities, highlighting the vulnerability of low-lying and flood-prone communities to extreme rainfall. Such events place enormous strain on emergency response and infrastructure across densely populated coastal provinces.
Frequently asked questions
How many people were evacuated because of Typhoon Saudel?
Authorities estimate almost 600,000 people were evacuated in Fujian province alone, while emergency evacuations affected 9,000 people in Jiangxi, where a further 128,000 across 53 counties were affected.
How much rain did the storm bring?
Putian, in Fujian province, recorded 416.5mm of rain in a 24-hour period between Thursday and Friday, with surrounding villages recording more than 500mm in the same period.
Were there any deaths?
Yes. A landslip in a village of Suichuan county, Jiangxi province, on Saturday killed three people, with nine others remaining missing.
Timeline
- Weather tracker: Typhoon Saudel causes mass evacuations in south-east China
The Guardian World: Torrential rain causes widespread damage; while north-west South Africa hit by thunderstorms and central-southern US faces oppressive heat Typhoon Saudel brought days of torrential rain to the Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong provinces in south-east China last week. The ci