Typhoon No. 18 Revives at Sea, Makes Rare Second Landfall in China

Typhoon No. 18 (Saudel) weakened into a tropical depression after making landfall in mainland China, then regenerated into a typhoon at sea and made a second landfall, an unusual path. As of noon on September 3, it was moving northwest over southern China at 20 km/h, with central pressure of 992 hPa and maximum winds of 18 m/s, expected to weaken to a tropical depression by midnight. The typhoon brought storms to Okinawa and Amami in August, then hit mainland China and weakened to a tropical depression on August 29. It moved south into the South China Sea, regenerated on September 1 when winds exceeded typhoon threshold, and re-landed in southern China. This "revived typhoon" is rare but not unprecedented, occurring a few times a year or once every several years. Typically, typhoons weaken on land due to loss of warm ocean moisture and terrain effects, but can revive if they return to warm seas. Typhoon No. 18's path—landfall, weakening, southward move, revival at sea, and second landfall—illustrates this phenomenon, though it is expected to weaken again and move southwest across southern China.