Typhoon Saudel is forecast to make landfall Friday along the coast between east China's Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, prompting emergency responses across the region.
Saudel weakened from severe typhoon strength early Thursday and by 11:00 was located about 320 kilometers east of Wenling, a county-level city of Zhejiang, with the National Meteorological Center maintaining an orange alert.
Zhejiang raised its typhoon emergency response to Level II on Wednesday. Meteorologists predict heavy to torrential rain across several cities starting Thursday, with extreme downpours in some areas. Maritime authorities in Ningbo and Zhoushan activated emergency protocols, suspending passenger ferry routes and evacuating nearly 100,000 travelers from Zhoushan's islands in advance.
In Shanghai, high-speed ferry services to Chongming Island were suspended Wednesday, and all ferry routes to the island halted from noon Thursday as a safety precaution.
Fujian raised its emergency response to Level III on Wednesday. In Xiapu County, more than 8,100 people working on aquaculture rafts were evacuated ashore and over 20,000 local vessels were ordered into harbor to shelter from the storm.
Typhoon Saudel expected to hit east China coast
