Typhoon Danas, the fourth typhoon of the 2025 Pacific season, has made landfall in Taiwan Province and now threatens China's coastal provinces with a rare "Z-shaped" trajectory, prompting widespread emergency preparations across the region.

The storm first struck Taiwan's Chiayi County early Monday as a Category 1 typhoon, bringing sustained winds of 40 m/s (144 km/h) and torrential rains. It has since weakened but is forecast to make an unusual turn toward the Chinese mainland, potentially making a second landfall between Zhejiang and Fujian provinces by late Tuesday or Wednesday.

Meteorologists attribute Danas' erratic movement to shifting subtropical high-pressure systems. Initially steered northwest by high-pressure winds, the typhoon later drifted north as those systems weakened. It may now pivot southwest toward China's coast, creating its distinctive "Z" pattern.

Though rare, such erratic paths aren't unprecedented. Historical examples include Typhoons Wayne (1986), Nari (1991), and Nakri (2001). Wayne's path notably traced three loops and a figure-eight pattern while regenerating after near-dissipation.

Regardless of Typhoon Danas' eventual path, heavy rain and strong winds will increase over the next three days across Taiwan, Fujian, and Zhejiang. Gale-force winds are expected in the eastern sectors of the South China Sea, the Taiwan Strait, waters east of Taiwan, the Bashi Channel, and the southwestern East China Sea. Coastal areas of central-northern Fujian and central-southern Zhejiang, along with central-southern Taiwan, face torrential downpours (100-230 mm), with the most intense rainfall occurring from July 7-8.

In Guangdong, winds over the eastern coastal waters will weaken to force 6 to 7 on July 7. High temperatures (35-37°C) and localized thunderstorms will dominate through July 8, particularly in central and northern regions.