Typhoon Saudel brings torrential rain, flooding to China's coastal areas
Typhoon Saudel has caused severe flooding and infrastructure damage across China's Fujian and Guangdong provinces. Experts link the unusual frequency and trajectory of these storms to the intensifying El Niño climate pattern.
Why it matters
The increasing frequency of extreme weather events highlights the growing impact of climate change on urban safety and disaster management in coastal regions.
Local authorities have shut schools, suspended public transport and enforced emergency flood protocols across multiple coastal areas.
Rescue workers evacuate residents by boat amid flooding caused by heavy rainfall from Typhoon Saudel in Minhou county, Fuzhou, Fujian province, China, Sep 3, 2026. (Reuters via cnsphoto)
China's southern coastal provinces of Fujian and Guangdong braced for further torrential rain on Friday (Sep 4), after severe downpours linked to Typhoon Saudel triggered flooding in urban and rural areas , swamping vehicles and causing a three-storey brick building to collapse.
In Fujian's city of Fuding, known for its tea plantations and lush greenery, firefighters waded through waist-deep floodwaters to carry elderly people to safety, social media footage verified by Reuters showed.
In nearby Jinxi village, a tea-growing community surrounded by mountains, raging floodwaters inundated residential buildings and brought down a three-storey house, the footage showed.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in