Typhoon MATMO makes landfall in southern China, hundreds of thousands evacuated

China said Typhoon MATMO made landfall in southern China on October 5 after causing major transport disruptions, forcing the evacuation of more than 151,000 people and raising fears of flooding.

Ships anchor to avoid a storm at a port in Haikou, Hainan province, China, October 4, 2025. Photo: THX/TTXVN

According to the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), when moving through the East Sea on the morning of October 5, storm MATMO had maximum sustained winds of 104 mph (about 167 km/h), equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane on the Atlantic scale.

The typhoon made landfall in Guangdong province on the afternoon of October 5 and is forecast to weaken as it moves inland towards Guangxi province. Forecasters warned that the storm could dump up to 250-300 mm of rain in some parts of the region by the afternoon of October 6, raising the risk of flooding.

The southern provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi are home to nearly 180 million people. Typhoon MATMO hit China during the annual shopping and tourism peak for the National Day holiday on October 1.

China has issued a red alert (the highest level in its four-tier weather warning system for typhoons) as the storm approaches its southern coast.

As of 8 p.m. on October 4 (local time), Guangdong provincial authorities had evacuated more than 151,000 people from the storm's affected areas. The province also closed highways in Zhanjiang city and suspended some ferry services to Hong Kong (China).

Staff place sandbags outside the waiting room at Xiuying Port in Haikou, Hainan Province, China, in anticipation of Typhoon Matmo, October 4, 2025. Photo: THX/TTXVN

In Hainan province, schools were closed and some transport was suspended. About 60 flights to and from the island’s international airport had been canceled as of early afternoon on October 5.

In Guangxi, authorities have closed several tourist sites and evacuated tens of thousands of tourists.

Last week, Typhoon MATMO tore through Luzon, the Philippines’ most populous island, forcing thousands to evacuate from an area still reeling from a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that killed at least 72 people.

MATMO is the second major storm to threaten the region in less than two weeks. In late September, Typhoon RAGASA ripped through the Philippines and China, killing at least 18 people and injuring dozens more. Guangdong authorities evacuated more than 1 million people.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/bao-matmo-do-bo-vao-mien-nam-trung-quoc-hang-tram-nghin-nguoi-phai-so-tan-394669.html