[Weather] Typhoon Saudel to Affect Shanghai From Thursday, Landfall Expected Friday

Caption: Shot by Contributing Aerial Photographer Elliy.

Under the influence of an approaching typhoon, Shanghai is bathed in crystal-clear skies, and the sunsets become extraordinarily beautiful.

Typhoon Saudel will start affecting Shanghai with stronger winds from Thursday noon, and is forecast to make landfall on Friday along the Zhejiang coast.

The storm, the season's 18th typhoon, entered the East China Sea and crossed into Shanghai's 24-hour alert zone on Wednesday.

Its center was 634 kilometers south of Jinshan, Shanghai's southernmost point, as of 11am, according to the city's weather bureau.

Saudel was tracking west-northwest on Wednesday with little change in strength. It will then turn west-southwest on Thursday and weaken slightly.

Landfall is expected sometime between the early hours and afternoon of Friday, most likely along the coast between Jiaojiang and Pingyang in Zhejiang Province.

The landfall would tie the province's record of three typhoon landfalls in one year, last set in 2004.

Separately, the season's 19th storm Narra came ashore overnight in southern Hainan and Guangdong provinces and has weakened to a tropical depression that is expected to keep fading.

[Weather] Typhoon Saudel to Affect Shanghai From Thursday, Landfall Expected Friday

Wind, not rain, the bigger risk

Gusts will build from around noon on Thursday to force 7-8 – strong enough to snap branches and make it hard to walk steadily outdoors – reaching force 8-9 along the river and coast, powerful enough to uproot small trees and damage weaker structures.

Some areas will see 25 to 45 millimeters of rain from intermittent showers and thunderstorms. Conditions will ease from Thursday evening through the night on Friday.

A second round of rain is expected from August 31 to September 2 as cold and warm air masses collide, bringing cooler temperatures.

Credit: Imaginechina

Caption: Pedestrians carrying umbrellas for sun cover gather along the Lujiazui skywalk.

Trains, ferries suspended

China Railway Shanghai Group has suspended some services on the Hangzhou-Wenzhou, Hangzhou-Taizhou, Jinhua-Wenzhou, Jintai and Yongjin lines for Thursday and Friday, and the Hangzhou-Shenzhen line from Wednesday to Saturday, with further adjustments possible.

Ticket holders can get fee-free refunds through 12306 or at stations up to 30 days after their travel date.

Shanghai's high-speed ferry routes began suspending service on Wednesday morning.