Typhoon Matmo hits southern China during peak holiday season
Matmo caused flooding in the Philippines earlier this week.
This photo taken on Oct 4, 2025 shows an aerial view of flooded houses near an inundated river after a dam released waters due to heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm Matmo in Tuguegarao City in Cagayan Province in the Philippines. (Photo: AFP/John Dimain)
SHANGHAI: Typhoon Matmo hit southern China on Sunday (Oct 5), the state broadcaster said, after flights and many events had been cancelled in the island province of Hainan, causing disruption in a peak holiday season.
Matmo, which caused flooding in the Philippines earlier this week, made landfall on the east coast of Xuwen in Guangdong province around 2.50pm.
It was generating winds of 151 kmh as it approached China's coastline, the national meteorological centre said.
The typhoon was arriving in the middle of the eight-day holiday that started with National Day on Wednesday, during which people are expected to make around 2.36 billion trips, according to estimates reported by state media.
Flights and ferries in the holiday hub of Hainan had already been cancelled from Saturday evening in anticipation of Matmo's strong winds and heavy rains.
Matmo had barrelled across the Philippines' mountainous north on Friday, where thousands were evacuated.
Matmo crossed a vast agricultural valley and mountainous provinces, where floods were reported, officials said. It made landfall in northeastern Isabela province on Friday morning.
There were no immediate reports of casualties. More than 8,000 villagers were evacuated and power outages were reported in Isabela and the nearby province of Aurora, officials said.
Schools suspended classes, and cargo and fishing vessels were prohibited from entering the rough seas along the path of the storm.
Known locally as Paolo, Matmo was the 16th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year.
