Chinese authorities have announced widespread cancellations of flights, suspension of businesses, and closure of schools as powerful Typhoon Matmo barrels toward the country’s southern coast, threatening to disrupt millions of holidaymakers during the ongoing National Day celebrations.
According to the China National Meteorological Centre (NMC), Typhoon Matmo is expected to make landfall on Sunday morning along the southern provinces of Hainan and Guangdong. The typhoon arrives in the midst of China’s eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday — one of the busiest travel periods of the year — when hundreds of thousands of domestic tourists head to tropical destinations like Hainan Island.
Authorities said all flights at Haikou Meilan International Airport, the main gateway to Hainan’s provincial capital, will be suspended starting 11 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) on Saturday. The airport had been projected to handle over 632,000 passengers during the holiday period, according to the Hainan Airport Group.
Local officials in Haikou have also announced the suspension of schools, public transportation, and construction projects beginning Saturday afternoon. Businesses across the city will be ordered to close as a safety precaution.
Both Hainan and neighboring Guangdong provinces have raised their emergency response levels, warning residents of the risks of torrential rains, destructive winds, flash floods, and landslides. Authorities have halted numerous rail services, grounded fishing fleets, and recalled vessels to port ahead of the storm.
Heavy downpours are also forecast in the southern Yunnan province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, according to meteorologists.
The NMC warned that Typhoon Matmo could bring maximum wind speeds of up to 45 meters per second (160 kilometers per hour or 100 miles per hour) before weakening gradually after landfall.
With transport networks disrupted and public safety measures intensified, authorities are urging residents and travelers to remain indoors, follow official advisories, and prepare for potential emergencies as Matmo nears the Chinese mainland.
