The National Meteorological Center (NMC) on Thursday stopped numbering Typhoon Saudel, the 18th typhoon of the year, after it had significantly weakened, but heavy rainfall brought by its remnant circulation and peripheral cloud systems continued to affect parts of China, leaving Fujian, Jiangxi and Guangdong facing risks of floods, mountain torrents and geological disasters, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a recent consultation organized by the National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Reduction and Relief and the Ministry of Emergency Management forecast that two to three typhoons will make landfall in or significantly affect China in September, more than the average for the same period, with relatively strong intensity.

East China's Fujian Province has been among the areas severely affected by the persistent heavy rainfall. According to Xinhua's Fuzhou branch on Friday, days of heavy rainfall brought by Saudel caused a river embankment near Xihu village in Huating town in Putian to overflow and breach on Thursday afternoon, inundating nearby villages and industrial parks, flooding homes and trapping residents.

Secondary disasters triggered by the downpours also left people missing and caused more than 100 houses to collapse in Huating township. As of Friday noon, 171 people from 52 households had been evacuated from Xihu village, while 1,261 people had been relocated across Chengxiang district, where 30 emergency shelters had been opened.

Persistent heavy rainfall also caused widespread river flooding across Fujian. From 6 am Thursday to 6 am Friday, 74 hydrological stations along 50 rivers in eight cities, including Sanming, Fuzhou and Quanzhou, recorded water levels above warning thresholds, with some exceeding guaranteed water levels. As of 6 am Friday, 18 stations along 13 rivers in six cities remained above warning levels, Xinhua reported.

The end of Saudel's numbering, however, does not mean that meteorological disaster risks have completely subsided. China's Ministry of Water Resources forecast heavy to torrential rain in central and southern Jiangxi from Wednesday to Friday, with particularly heavy rainfall in parts of southwestern Jiangxi.

The ministry activated a Level-IV emergency response for flood control in Jiangxi at noon on Thursday, calling for precautions against flooding on small and medium-sized rivers, mountain torrents and urban waterlogging.

Saudel followed an unusual path during its prolonged life cycle. The typhoon made landfall twice in East China's Zhejiang Province on August 28 before weakening and being declassified on August 30. Its remnant circulation later moved into the South China Sea, where it redeveloped and strengthened back into a typhoon early on September 1.

At around 6:30 am Thursday, Saudel made its third landfall in China along the coast of Zhangzhou, Fujian. It weakened into a tropical storm later that day before the NMC stopped numbering it at 5 pm. Saudel first formed on August 19 and had a relatively long life cycle, with its track and redevelopment considered unusual, according to Weather China.

Despite Saudel's weakening, typhoon activity is expected to remain relatively active in September. The consultation forecast that five to seven typhoons will form over the western North Pacific and the South China Sea this month, more than the average for the same period. Of those, two to three are expected to make landfall in or significantly affect China, also above the seasonal average, with relatively strong intensity.