Typhoon Saudel, the 18th named storm of the 2026 Pacific season, is approaching Japan's Nansei (Ryukyu) Islands and is expected to affect Okinawa and Amami at strong-to-very-strong intensity around 26 August, bringing violent winds, high waves, and heavy rain. Naha is likely to face suspensions as the storm passes.

The key question for the wider network is what happens next, and it is not yet clear.

Forecast models diverge on whether Saudel continues west toward the eastern coast of China, turns north toward Korea, or curves southwest toward Taiwan. Only if the system tracks toward eastern China would the major mainland gateways come into play.

That matters because eastern China is still digesting a difficult season. Typhoon Dolphin closed Shanghai and Ningbo in early August, stranding more than 2.4 million TEU, and delays of 7–21 days remain common as terminals clear the backlog, with Typhoon Bavi having caused comparable closures only weeks earlier.

On a network with little slack, even a short Saudel-related suspension could compound quickly.

Kuehne+Nagel is monitoring the situation and will share further updates.