In a rare meteorological event, four tropical cyclones swirled simultaneously this week over the Northwest Pacific and the South China Sea, prompting coastal provinces from Hainan to Zhejiang to close tourist attractions, recall fishing vessels and prepare for days of heavy rain.

The four typhoon systems — Saudel, Narra, Gaenari and Atsani — are the 18th through 21st named storms of an unusually active season.

Dubbed the "four typhoons dancing together", the phenomenon triggered emergency responses across southern and eastern China, where authorities moved quickly to safeguard lives and property.

Typhoon Atsani, the latest among the group, formed on Monday morning, completing the four-storm lineup, according to the China Meteorological Administration.

READ MORE: China raises weather alert as two typhoons approach

Typhoon Saudel formed on Aug 19 on the Northwest Pacific, strengthened into a super typhoon early on Sunday and began churning toward China's eastern seaboard. Forecasters said late on Tuesday that it could make landfall along the Zhejiang or Fujian coast between Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Narra formed on Friday and lingered over the Beibu Gulf — off the coast of southern China and northern Vietnam — before it made landfall late on Tuesday in Hainan.

Over the weekend, the system unleashed heavy rainfall across the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, as well as the provinces of Guangdong and Hainan.

Central authorities have deployed a task force to guide disaster relief efforts in Guangxi, where authorities had reported rising river levels that submerged riverside parks and walkways.

In Ningming county, rescue teams deployed boats to evacuate residents trapped by floodwaters.

Typhoon Gaenari formed on Saturday and made landfall in Quanzhou, Fujian, at noon on Monday. The storm impacted Fujian, Zhejiang and Taiwan before dissipating late on Monday over Fujian.

Experts linked the heightened activity to the ongoing El Nino weather pattern, which has created conditions across the western Pacific favorable for typhoon development.

ALSO READ: China issues multiple alerts for rainstorms, typhoons

While four simultaneous typhoons are uncommon, Wang Haiping, chief forecaster at the Central Meteorological Observatory, told a news conference on Monday that the phenomenon was not unprecedented.

Historical records show that four typhoons coexisted near the Philippines in November 2024 under similar atmospheric conditions.

The observatory warned on Monday that typhoon activity in the Northwest Pacific and the South China Sea remains unusually active, with one to two additional storms possible over the next 10 days.

Authorities urged residents in coastal areas to monitor official forecasts and prepare for potential mountain torrents, urban flooding and other secondary disasters as multiple storms deliver rounds of prolonged rainfall.

Contact the writers at lilei@chinadaily.com.cn