After it executed a south-southeastward turn, Saola went again in an explosive intensification to Category 5 as it passes over Batanes and left PAR on August 31 still as a super typhoon.

Prior to the approach of Saola, HKO raised the highest signal category in anticipation of the storm, the first time in 5 years since Mangkhut of 2018.

The storm continued to approach closely over Hong Kong and Macau, battering with strong gusty winds and heavy rains over the area before weakening and making landfall over Southern China.

The PAGASA marked the system as a low-pressure area on August 22, and the Japan Meteorological Agency upgraded it to a tropical depression.

On August 24, Goring was upgraded to a tropical storm by the JTWC, with the JMA following suit a few hours later at 06:00 UTC, receiving the name Saola.

PAGASA then started to issue Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals across the eastern parts of Northern Luzon on Friday morning.

Saola then executed a south-southeastward turn over the Philippine Sea, begin the eyewall replacement cycle and then weakened back into a typhoon per PAGASA, with Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal #2 and #3 being lifted as it moved away from Central Luzon.

Later that day, Saola crossed the northwestern boundaries of the Philippine Area of Responsibility, and PAGASA issued their final tropical cyclone advisories on it, with storm signals being dropped moments later.

Saola remained a powerful super typhoon as it crossed into the South China Sea southwest of Taiwan, featuring a clear and warm eye as it did so.

[8] On the afternoon of August 31 (UTC), the JTWC noted that Saola was struggling to complete an eyewall replacement cycle, resulting in some slight weakening.

[12] Saola continued approaching near Southern China including Hong Kong with maintaining intensify Category 4 super typhoon.

[18] As a preventative measure for Saola's impacts, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ordered the temporary suspension of all sea traffic for all types of vessels.

5, its highest warning signal—under the risk of violent, life-threatening winds—for the Babuyan Islands for the second time this year after Super Typhoon Doksuri.

A T8 warning signal, landslide and rain alerts, and a special notice on floods in the northern New Territories have all been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory.

[26] As Saola continued to approach the island, the CWB issued a land warning to the southern part of Taiwan early on the next day, locally.

[citation needed] Saola was initially expected to strike into Taiwan, but instead went into the Bashi Channel between the Babuyan Islands and Batanes, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall across the area.