The name "Saomai" was submitted by Vietnam, and is from the Vietnamese word for "morning star" (sao Mai), a reference to the planet Venus.

[2] The typhoon brought heavy rain and wind to areas of the Mariana Islands, the Philippines, Taiwan, and the east coast of China.

[3] A tropical disturbance formed east of Chuuk on July 31 and gradually increased in organization over the next several days as it moved northwestward.

Due to Saomai's proximity to Tropical Storm Bopha, located near Taiwan, the two underwent a Fujiwhara interaction.

This interaction served to shift Saomai's track slightly to the south and provided the system with in influx of moisture via southwesterly monsoonal flow on the backside of Bopha.

[6] The JTWC estimated Saomai to have been a much more powerful system, ranking it as a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon with one-minute winds of 260 km/h (160 mph) and a pressure of 898 mbar (hPa; 26.52 inHg).

Both the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) and Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) estimated the typhoon to have been slightly stronger, stating peak ten-minute sustained winds of 215 and 210 km/h (134 and 130 mph), respectively.

[8] After passing to the south of Okinawa, Saomai turned westward and brushed the northern coast of Taiwan Island early on August 10.

On August 10, Typhoon Saomai made landfall at Cangnan County in southern Zhejiang, still maintaining a small and clear eye.

According to the CMA, the typhoon moved ashore with maximum sustained winds of 216 km/h (134 mph), and a central pressure of 920 mbar (27 inHg).

Military bases in northern Guam entered Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1, meaning that winds of 50 knots or higher were expected within 12 hours.

[13] The Central Weather Bureau of the Republic of China issued land and marine typhoon warnings for areas of northern Taiwan in anticipation of Saomai's outer bands.

Airlines canceled 25 flights from Fuzhou Changle International Airport and another 17 from Hong Kong, while ferry service was also disrupted.

[20] During the overnight hours of August 5–6, Tropical Storm Saomai moved through the southern Mariana Islands with its center passing halfway between Guam and Rota.

Lesser winds occurred on Guam, with a peak gust of 61 km/h (38 mph) measured at Andersen Air Force Base.

[21][22] Later, as with Tropical Storm Bilis a month earlier, Saomai's outer rainbands affected areas of the Philippines.

[23] The core of the typhoon passed to the north of Taiwan, but the island still experienced heavy rain and wind that disrupted traffic and cancelled flights to and from Taipei.

[11] While moving ashore in Zhejiang province, Saomai produced high waves, gusty winds, and heavy rainfall.

[16] Most of the damaged houses along the path were generally masonry built, while newer towers fared better due to higher building standards.

[11] Also in the city, Saomai destroyed the roof tiles and the gate house of the 1,146 year old Ziguo temple, a local historical site.

[11] About a month after Typhoon Kaemi affected the region, Saomai caused additional flooding in the inland province of Jiangxi.

[28][35] Immediately after Saomai made landfall in China, local Red Cross chapters provided residents left homeless with emergency supplies, such as blankets, clothing, medicine, and disinfectant.

The funds were used to provide food and water for displaced victims and pay for the rebuilding effort in Zhejiang and Fujian.

[38] After the season ended, members of the 39th meeting of the Typhoon Committee of the World Meteorological Organization met in Manila in December 2006.