Schools, ferry routes suspended as Typhoon Saudel lashes east China

On Thursday, schools and ferry services were suspended in eastern China's Fujian province as a result of Typhoon Saudel. The storm had already hit the neighboring Zhejiang province twice, triggering the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people in recent months. Authorities warned of heavy rain and secondary disasters such as flash floods and landslides.

24 passenger ferry routes were halted along the Fujian coast. The province's emergency management agency reported persistent, heavy rainfall in the region. Around 247,700 people in high-risk areas had been evacuated in the previous week due to the threat of heavy rain. Last July, typhoon Maysak caused devastating floods in southern China's Guangxi region, resulting in at least 159 deaths.

Climate scientists warn that as the planet continues to warm due to fossil fuel emissions, the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events will increase. China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases but also a global leader in renewable energy, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. A catastrophic flood recently cut through the Nepal-China border region, killing over 1,200 people and leaving more than 4,750 missing, raising global concerns about the growing risks of climate change.