Overview

• Matmo came ashore around midday on Oct 5 between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Wenchang in Hainan with sustained winds near 150 km/h, according to China’s National Meteorological Centre.
• Authorities reported large-scale relocations, including about 197,000 people in Hainan and roughly 150,000 in Guangdong, with thousands of emergency personnel deployed.
• Transport was widely curtailed as all flights at Haikou Meilan were canceled Saturday night, ferries across the Qiongzhou Strait were halted, and Hainan’s rail services were suspended for Sunday.
• Multiple cities closed schools, businesses and public services, including Haikou, Wenchang, Zhanjiang, Maoming and Beihai, while Hong Kong saw over 100 flights affected with dozens canceled.
• Forecasters expect the system to weaken inland but warn of flooding and landslide risks across Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan, with heavy rain also forecast for northern Vietnam.