Taiwan's Central Weather Administration issued a sea warning for Typhoon Saudel and forecast heavy rain across the island's south, Focus Taiwan reported on August 27. The storm is not expected to make landfall in Taiwan but poses a threat to shipping in waters to the north, particularly around the outlying Matsu islands.

Saudel is tracking towards eastern China, where it is forecast to come ashore around midday on August 28 in Zhejiang Province and weaken sharply. It will pass closest to Taiwan the same day, when its outer rain bands are expected to brush Matsu. Scores of flights to, from and around Japan's Okinawa island chain have already been cancelled.

The weather agency said those outer bands, combined with strengthening southwesterly winds, would bring heavy rain to southern and southeastern Taiwan from the night of August 27 into August 28. Rain and winds over Matsu will also pick up as the storm nears.

Showers were already soaking central and southern Taiwan on the morning of August 27, with Pingtung County recording more than 100 millimetres of rainfall. Northern and eastern parts of the island stayed mostly cloudy to sunny, with isolated afternoon thunderstorms likely in mountainous areas.

Alerts were issued for Chiayi and areas further south, warning of heavy rain, lightning strikes and strong wind gusts, along with the risk of landslides and rockfalls in southern mountain areas and flooding in low-lying districts.

As of 11:00 local time, Saudel was centred about 520 kilometres east-northeast of Matsu, with maximum sustained winds of 126 kph and gusts of 162 kph, moving west-southwest at 12-18 kph. The sea warning took effect at 08:30, with vessels in the affected area advised to exercise extreme caution.