Typhoon Matmo batters China's coastal regions with fierce winds, downpours

China

Typhoon Matmo batters China's coastal regions with fierce winds, downpours

2025-10-05 17:35 Last Updated At：21:07

Typhoon Matmo, the 21st named storm of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season, has slammed into China's coastal regions, unleashing powerful winds and heavy downpours.

The typhoon made its landfall along the eastern coast of Xuwen County, Zhanjiang City in south China's Guangdong Province at around 14:50 on Sunday, with the maximum wind force near its center reaching 42 meters per second, and with a central minimum pressure of 965 hectopascals.

In the coastal town of Jinhe, situated along the eastern shoreline of Xuwen County, the wind speeds have reached gusts equivalent to level 14 on the Beaufort scale, causing metal sheets to be scattered around and trees to topple.

A nearby fishing port has experienced severe impact, with water and power supplies cut off and communication lines affected.

The storm's center is expected to sweep the Leizhou Peninsula in south China later Sunday, bringing heavy rains and strong winds.

Local authorities have activated emergency response plans, urging residents to stay indoors, and reinforcing forecasts to prepare for ongoing severe weather.

The Haikou Meilan International Airport has canceled all flights and will gradually resume operations starting from 20:00 on Sunday.

Earlier on Saturday, authorities have activated a Level IV emergency response for flood control in Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi and Yunnan as Typhoon Matmo was forecast to bring heavy rainfall.

China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response, and a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Preparations for Shenzhou-22 mission in full swing: CMSA official

Preparations for the launch of China's Shenzhou-22 spacecraft are in full swing as it will be launched at an appropriate time to send food supplies and equipment to the Chinese space station, according to an official from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Friday.

Zhou Yaqiang, the CMSA official, said the preparatory work includes spacecraft and rocket tests and cargo preparation. "The mission for launching the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft has been initiated, with preparations for all systems in full swing, including testing the spacecraft and rocket components and preparing the cargo. The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft is sure to carry supplies. The spacecraft's cargo-carrying capacity is a highly valuable resource for the manned space program, so we will make full use of every opportunity. The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft will mainly deliver food supplies for the astronauts and some equipment for the space station," Zhou said.

On Nov 1, the Shenzhou-21 manned spaceship sent a crew of three astronauts to the Chinese space station to succeed the three-member Shenzhou-20 crew and stay in orbit for around six months.

However, the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, which was originally scheduled to take the Shenzhou-20 crew of three astronauts back to the Earth on Nov 5, experienced a suspected impact from space debris before the task, resulting in it not meeting the requirements for a safe return, according to the CMSA.

The agency therefore adopted an alternative plan, taking the three Shenzhou-20 astronauts back to the Earth aboard the Shenzhou-21 ship on Friday. This marked the first successful implementation of an alternative return procedure in the country's space station program history.