Unlike the usual pattern in which typhoons move northward after making landfall, Typhoon Saudel has taken the rare path of turning southwestward and may even move southward back over the sea, bringing heavy rainfall and increasing the risk of flash floods, media reported on Sunday.

Saudel is the third typhoon this year, after Bavi and Dolphin, to make landfall in Yuhuan, East China's Zhejiang Province. The city has been struck by three typhoons in less than two months - an unusually rare sequence.

After making two landfalls, Typhoon Saudel has weakened into a tropical depression. China Meteorological Administration analyst Shen Yuyang said that such a southwestward turn after landfall is rare, as Saudel was pushed southward after moving inland due to the influence of high pressure to its north and cold air, according to China National Emergency Broadcasting on Sunday.

While the typhoon is moving relatively quickly and its heavy rainfall is not lingering in one place for long, the storm's high precipitation efficiency and substantial rainfall still pose significant risks. As of 5 am on Sunday, its center had reached Qingyuan, South China's Guangdong Province, per the report.

Under the influence of Saudel and the convergence zone, frequent heavy rainfall is expected across southern China from late August to early September.

The risk of flash floods and flooding in small and medium-sized rivers is also expected to rise further in southern Hunan and northeastern Guangxi through Monday. Heavy rainfall areas are also expected to overlap with previously affected regions, increasing the likelihood of secondary disasters such as flash floods, landslides, and mudslides.

The Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued a red alert for flash flood risks at 6 pm on Saturday, CCTV News reported. From 8 pm on Saturday to 8 pm on Sunday, parts of southern Hunan and northeastern Guangxi were expected to face a high risk of flash floods, with some areas facing a very high risk.