TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Saudel (沙德爾) reintensified to tropical storm status over the South China Sea on Tuesday (Sept. 1) morning, Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (中央氣象署) announced. The system had weakened to a tropical depression after making landfall in mainland China before regenerating, prompting torrential rain warnings for southern Taiwan.
The upgrade unfolded at 8 a.m. Tuesday, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said during a morning briefing. The Japan Meteorological Agency had upgraded the system at 2 a.m. the same day.
Saudel is expected to approach the Taiwan Strait by Wednesday afternoon through Thursday, Lee said. "It will likely be closest to the Taiwan Strait area from the afternoon of the 2nd through the 3rd," he said.
The regeneration followed a textbook pattern, Lee explained. After making landfall in China, Saudel weakened and tracked southward. Upon reaching the warm waters of the South China Sea on Monday, the system gradually reorganized into a tropical depression before reintensifying Tuesday morning.
Taitung faces the highest risk Wednesday. "Especially in Taitung, we currently estimate that tomorrow there may be localized torrential rain," Lee said.
Southern Taiwan will see heavy rain through Thursday as the storm's outer circulation affects the island. Central Taiwan, Yilan and Taitung should expect localized heavy rain Tuesday, with afternoon thunderstorms possible in northern areas.
Asked whether the CWA would issue a sea warning for Saudel, Lee said the probability remained "relatively low" based on the current projected path. However, he noted that some forecast models showed the tropical storm could track closer to the Taiwan Strait. "We will continue to assess based on the future path," he said.
The tropical storm is forecast to move toward China by Thursday, weakening to a tropical depression as it approaches land, Lee said. Saudel is expected to track east-northeast through Wednesday before turning north toward the Chinese coast.
Forecast models have not reached consensus on Saudel's path, according to private forecaster WeatherRisk (天氣風險). The storm lacks clear steering currents and is embedded within a large monsoon trough, making its trajectory difficult to predict.
A second typhoon, Krovanh (克羅旺), formed Tuesday morning east of the Ryukyu Islands. The Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded it to Typhoon No. 23 at 8 a.m. Krovanh is expected to track north toward Japan and poses no direct threat to Taiwan.
Coastal areas in southern and southeastern Taiwan may experience high waves through Thursday, the CWA said. Affected areas include Lanyu and Green Island off Taitung, and the Hengchun Peninsula at the island's southern tip. Wave heights at Tainan's Qigu had reached 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) as of early Tuesday.
Conditions are expected to improve by Sunday as the monsoon trough weakens, Lee said. Rainfall will transition to an afternoon thundershower pattern, ending the week of persistent precipitation. ◼