Typhoon Saudel Nears Taiwan and Japan With 216 kph Gusts as Flights Are Cancelled
Typhoon Saudel Threatens Taiwan, Japan and China
Thai Airways International has advised passengers on flights to Taipei and Shanghai on Thursday and Friday to check schedules as they could be disrupted by an approaching storm. The airline said on Tuesday that flights between Bangkok and Taipei and Shanghai on Thursday and Friday could be affected by Typhoon Saudel. Passengers are advised to monitor weather conditions and check flight status for the two days. The flights that could be affected are TG634/635, TG664/665, TG637, TG632/633, TG634/635, TG662/663, TG664/665. [1] Medium-strength Typhoon Saudel was moving towards southern Japan and northern Taiwan on Tuesday where it is expected to bring heavy rain, as Taiwan reported one person dead and four missing from a separate weather system over its south and east. [1] Japan’s weather agency warned of destructive gusts as Saudel approached the southwestern islands of Okinawa prefecture, also causing extremely strong winds and high seas. [1] The typhoon was moving slowly at 20 kilometres per hour, packing maximum sustained winds of 162 kph and gusts of up to 216 kph. [1] The agency urged residents in affected areas to remain on high alert for landslides, flooding and rising rivers from heavy rainfall. [1] Saudel is expected to pass to the north of Taiwan and dump water on its north starting late Thursday and into Friday, the island’s Central Weather Administration said. [1] Saudel is forecast to hit the coast in the eastern Chinese province of Fujian from late Thursday to early Friday. [1] China’s National Marine Environmental Forecasting Centre issued an orange alert, the second-highest warning level, for high waves. It said waves of seven to 12 metres are expected in the eastern section of the East China Sea. [1] Hundreds of flights cancelled as typhoon bears down on Okinawa. [4]
Separate Flooding Tragedy in Southern Taiwan
In southern and eastern Taiwan, the government reported one person dead and four missing from a tropical depression that brought flooding in the cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung, home to more than four million people. [1] During the three days from Sunday to Tuesday, almost a metre of rain fell in Kaohsiung, which the government said exceeded the total from Typhoon Morakot, which killed about 700 people and caused damage of up to $3 billion in 2009. [1]
Typhoon Saudel approaches Taiwan and Japan with strong winds and heavy rain. — Source: bangkokpost
Tornado Devastates French Village of Pomas
Two people were in critical condition and thousands of households were without power on Tuesday after a “tornado of severe intensity” wreaked havoc in southern France, officials said. [2] The tornado, which swept through the Aude department on Monday, hit the village of Pomas hardest, damaging around 300 homes and injuring 39 people, two severely. [2] Seventeen people were hospitalised, officials said. [2] By early Tuesday, 7,250 household across the Languedoc-Roussillon region were without power including 1,600 in Aude, said grid operator Enedis. [2] “A tornado of rare intensity struck Aude late yesterday afternoon, severely damaging the village of Pomas,” Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on X. [2] Marie-Helene Bouissac, the regional deputy prefect, said the tornado was “an exceptional and highly traumatic event”. [2] On Tuesday, under clear skies, roofs ripped apart by the storm had already been covered with blue and green plastic tarpaulins, an AFP journalist saw. [2] Nearby fields were littered with broken deckchairs, scraps of fiberglass insulation and pieces of wire fencing ripped apart by the fierce winds that struck the village and its surroundings. [2] Firefighters, including a canine search unit, inspected the site. [2] Emergency crews had worked throughout the night. [2] “Search and inspection operations are still under way, involving 75 firefighters supported by specialist reinforcement teams,” the prefecture said. [2] At a police checkpoint, relatives and friends of those affected waited for permission to enter the affected area, bringing supplies or offering assistance. [2] Jose Gomes, a resident of the nearby village of Trebes, said a friend’s house had collapsed. “He was inside, he suffered a head injury and broke three or four ribs,” he added. “He got out of hospital this morning.” [2] France sees several dozen tornadoes of varying intensity each year, according to weather agency Meteo-France. [2]
Record Heatstroke Cases Across Japan
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday that 41,174 people were sent to the hospital by ambulance for heatstroke nationwide in July, as many locations recorded temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius or higher. [3] The figure was the third highest for July since 2008, when the statistics were first compiled, following the 54,220 people logged in 2018 and 43,195 in 2024. [3] Among those taken to the hospital, 24,769 were age 65 or older, accounting for more than 60% of the total. [3] Seventy-nine people were confirmed dead. [3] The agency calls on the public to stay hydrated and use air conditioners when necessary. [3] It also encourages people to use designated cooling shelters equipped with air conditioning systems set up by municipalities. [3]
Broader Context of Recent Severe Weather
Typhoon Saudel moving towards Japan and Taiwan. [1] A castle damaged by the tornado that struck Pomas in southwestern France is seen on Aug 25, 2026. [2] The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday that 41,174 people were sent to the hospital by ambulance for heatstroke nationwide in July. [3]
What to watch next: Passengers are advised to monitor weather conditions and check flight status for the two days as Saudel approaches. The agency calls on the public to stay hydrated and use air conditioners when necessary.
