Typhoon Saudel triggered mass evacuations across southeastern China as days of torrential rain flooded provinces including Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Guangdong.

In Fujian province, officials estimated that nearly 600,000 people were moved from high-risk, flood-prone areas. An additional 128,000 residents across 53 counties in Jiangxi province were affected, with 9,000 evacuated on an emergency basis.

The city of Putian in Fujian recorded 416.5 millimeters of rain in a 24-hour period between Thursday and Friday, while surrounding villages exceeded 500 millimeters. Flooding, landslips and infrastructure damage occurred widely in the region.

More than 2,500 teachers and students were trapped in a school compound in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, on Wednesday after extreme rainfall caused flash floods. In Putian, at least 1,260 people required rescue after a river embankment collapsed on Thursday, flattening 100 homes.

A landslip in Suichuan county, Jiangxi province, on Saturday killed three people, with nine others reported missing. The death toll from the mudslide later rose to three.

Typhoon Saudel, the 18th typhoon of the year, made multiple landfalls in China, including a third in Fujian on Thursday. It weakened afterward, but remnant rains continued to pose risks of floods and geological disasters.

Schools closed and ferry routes were suspended in affected areas as local governments raised emergency responses. The storm followed earlier typhoons that also brought heavy rain to the region this season.