Typhoon Matmo, the 21st typhoon of the year, bore down on southern China on October 5, 2025, bringing with it a wave of anxiety, disruption, and sweeping evacuations across Guangdong and Hainan provinces. According to reports from The Associated Press, the storm intensified rapidly before making landfall, prompting Chinese authorities to order the evacuation of approximately 347,000 residents from high-risk and coastal areas—one of the largest mass evacuations in recent years for the region.
The storm struck Zhanjiang, a coastal city in Guangdong province, on Sunday afternoon. China’s National Meteorological Center measured maximum sustained winds at 151 kilometers per hour (94 miles per hour), a forceful reminder of nature’s unpredictability. As the typhoon approached, the weather authority issued a red-level typhoon warning—the highest alert in China’s four-tier system—signaling the seriousness of the threat. The South China Morning Post noted that the typhoon made landfall between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Wenchang in Hainan, moving northwest at roughly 25 kilometers per hour (15 mph).
Emergency preparations were swift and extensive. Hainan province, a popular holiday destination, became a focal point for both preventive action and disruption. As early as Saturday, flights and ferries were canceled, and public transportation, businesses, and schools were shut down. According to The Associated Press and local state media The Paper, Hainan alone saw the preemptive evacuation of 197,856 people, while southwestern Guangdong accounted for another 151,000. In total, nearly 350,000 individuals were relocated to safer ground, away from the storm’s projected path.
“Swiftly go into battle mode,” urged Meng Fanli, Guangdong’s provincial deputy party secretary, as reported by the South China Morning Post. He called on local officials to “ensure no casualties and minimal losses,” especially crucial as the typhoon coincided with the National Day and Mid-Autumn holidays—a period when millions of Chinese typically travel across the region. This year, expectations were that 2.36 billion trips would be made during the holiday period, underscoring the scale of potential disruption and the importance of effective disaster response.
With the red alert in place, authorities deployed more than 10,000 emergency and rescue personnel across Guangdong. Their mission was clear: to manage evacuations, safeguard infrastructure, and respond quickly to any emergencies. Local media broadcast footage of massive waves crashing over seawalls, flooding coastal roads in Zhanjiang, and battering seaside villages. These images brought home the reality of the storm’s power and the vulnerability of communities in its path.
Rainfall forecasts added to the urgency. Meteorologists warned that parts of Guangdong and Hainan could see between 100 and 249 millimeters (3.93 to 9.8 inches) of rain, raising the specter of flash floods and landslides. In Macau, though not directly in Matmo’s path, authorities took no chances, canceling classes and tutoring sessions due to deteriorating weather conditions.
The timing of Typhoon Matmo could hardly have been worse for southern China’s bustling travel and tourism industry. According to The Associated Press, the storm struck during the peak of the National Day holiday, when both Guangdong and Hainan are magnets for tourists. Hainan’s beaches, usually crowded with visitors, fell silent as airports emptied and local businesses shuttered their doors. The disruption rippled outward, affecting not only those directly in the storm’s path but also countless travelers whose plans were upended.
But the storm’s impact wasn’t limited to China. Earlier in the week, Typhoon Matmo swept through the Philippines, bringing severe flooding to five northern agricultural and mountainous regions. More than 220,000 people were affected, according to disaster-response officials cited by The Associated Press. Nearly 35,000 residents were forced to move to emergency shelters or the homes of relatives, fleeing landslide- and flood-prone villages. Remarkably, despite the widespread flooding, there were no reports of major casualties or significant infrastructure damage in the Philippines—a testament, perhaps, to improved disaster preparedness in recent years.
As Matmo churned westward and northward, meteorologists tracked its projected path toward northern Vietnam and China’s Yunnan province. The storm’s forward momentum—about 25 kilometers per hour—meant that its effects would soon be felt in new regions, with heavy rain and strong winds threatening to cause additional flooding and disruption.
China’s response to Typhoon Matmo highlighted both the strengths and challenges of managing natural disasters in densely populated, economically vital regions. The rapid mobilization of emergency personnel, the use of early warning systems, and the willingness to disrupt major holidays in the name of public safety all underscored a commitment to minimizing harm. Yet, the sheer scale of the evacuation—nearly 350,000 people—also illustrated the persistent vulnerability of coastal communities to extreme weather events.
For many residents, the storm brought a familiar, if unwelcome, routine. Packing up essentials, leaving behind homes and businesses, and seeking shelter in schools, community centers, or with relatives is an experience that has become all too common along the South China coast. The memory of past typhoons loomed large, shaping both official responses and personal anxieties.
In the immediate aftermath, attention turned to assessing the damage. While initial reports suggested that the swift evacuations and robust preparations had helped prevent loss of life, the full extent of property damage and economic impact would take days, if not weeks, to become clear. Meanwhile, emergency teams remained on high alert, ready to respond to landslides, infrastructure failures, or secondary flooding as the storm’s rains continued.
Looking ahead, Typhoon Matmo’s passage offered a sobering reminder of the ongoing risks posed by climate and geography. Southern China’s rapid urbanization, combined with the growing frequency and intensity of typhoons, means that authorities must continually adapt their strategies for disaster prevention and response. The lessons learned from Matmo—about the value of early warnings, the importance of coordinated evacuations, and the resilience of affected communities—will no doubt inform future efforts.
As the storm moved on toward Vietnam and Yunnan, southern China began the slow process of recovery and return to normalcy. For the hundreds of thousands displaced, the hope was simple: to return home safely, rebuild, and resume the rhythms of daily life, even as the memory of Matmo lingered.
