Typhoon Matmo batters Guangdong province, threatens Thailand, 100+ flights cancelled

China has activated a Level-IV national disaster relief emergency response as Typhoon Matmo, which has killed 13 people so far.

Matmo, the 21st named storm of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season, battered the southern provinces of Guangdong and Hainan Sunday, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management, as reported by Xinhua News.

Over 100 flights were cancelled in Hong Kong, with showers and gusts persisting, as per South China Morning Post.

After battering the Philippines, halting flights and ferries, and submerging roads, homes, and farmlands in floodwaters, Matmo (locally known as "Paolo") entered the South China Sea and regained typhoon strength, striking Guangdong province, China, on October 5 with winds of 151 km/h. 

This hit during China's National Day holiday, amplifying chaos amid 2.36 billion expected trips. 

Authorities issued a rare red alert, evacuating 347,000 people — 197,856 from Hainan and 151,000 from Guangdong. 

Typhoon Matmo's "storm circle" spans over 100km. 

Seawater has flooded parts of Yangjiang's Hailing Island and villages in Wuchuan, Zhanjiang, as waves up to 5 metres high pounded the coast.

Landfall in China

Typhoon Matmo made landfall in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province on Sunday afternoon. Classified as a Category 14 storm, Matmo has become the strongest typhoon to hit Guangdong this year. 

Heavy rains caused flash floods in Haikou and Zhanjiang, shutting down flights, trains, businesses, and public transport. 

In Hainan, a holiday hub, streets turned into rivers, stranding tourists and locals. 

Matmo's path highlighted the perils of back-to-back disasters, with preliminary economic losses in the hundreds of millions from infrastructure repairs, agricultural devastation, and tourism setbacks. 

Recovery efforts focus on flood mitigation and resilient rebuilding, underscoring climate vulnerabilities in typhoon-prone Asia.

Weakening

On Monday, Matmo has weakened into a severe tropical storm.

It is expected to cause heavy rains in the North, the Northeast and the East of Thailand on Monday and Tuesday, according to the Meteorological Department.