HANGZHOU, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Typhoon Saudel, the 18th typhoon of this year, made landfall along the coast of east China's Zhejiang Province twice on Friday, bringing rainstorms and prompting evacuations of residents.
Saudel made its first landfall along the coast of Yuhuan, a city under the jurisdiction of Taizhou City, Zhejiang, at around 8:05 a.m. Friday, packing maximum sustained winds of 35 meters per second (Force 12) near its center, according to the provincial meteorological observatory.
Shortly afterwards, at around 9:10 a.m., the typhoon made its second landfall along the coast of Wenzhou City in Zhejiang with a maximum sustained wind speed of 33 meters per second.
Zhejiang raised its typhoon emergency response to Level I, the highest level, at 8 p.m. Thursday. Measures have been taken to ensure that no people, vessels or activities remain at sea.
With Typhoon Saudel approaching, torrential rains are forecast for central and northern parts of Fujian Province, which borders Zhejiang, from Friday to Saturday.
Approximately 247,700 residents in high-risk areas in Fujian had been evacuated as of 7 a.m. Friday, while more than 80,000 emergency personnel and 80,000 pieces of equipment were on standby, according to the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters.
The National Meteorological Center issued a typhoon alert on Friday morning, forecasting that the storm would move southwest at 20 to 25 kilometers per hour and gradually weaken. ■
