Schools, ferry routes suspended as Typhoon Saudel lashes east China

Schools and ferry routes have been suspended in eastern China's Fujian province after Typhoon Saudel made its third landfall on the country's coast on Thursday.

The storm had earlier struck neighbouring Zhejiang province twice. In Fujian, schools in Fuzhou and Quanzhou halted in-person activities, and some tourist attractions, including theme parks in Fuzhou, temporarily closed. State broadcaster CCTV reported that 24 passenger ferry routes along the coast were suspended.

Fujian's emergency management authority warned of rainstorms and secondary disasters, including flash floods and landslides. It said the province was experiencing persistent, heavy rainfall. Authorities reported that about 247,700 people in high-risk areas of Fujian had been evacuated the previous week.

The latest storm follows deadly extreme weather elsewhere in China. At least 159 people died in southern Guangxi region in July after Typhoon Maysak caused severe flooding. A catastrophic flood also hit the border area between Nepal and China's Tibet region the previous week, killing more than 1,200 people and leaving more than 4,750 missing as of Thursday.

Scientists say fossil-fuel emissions and continued global warming will increase the intensity and frequency of extreme weather. China is the world's largest greenhouse-gas emitter, while also pursuing carbon neutrality by 2060 and expanding renewable energy.

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The province is currently experiencing a period of persistent, heavy rainfall.