Typhoon Matmo, the 21st named storm of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season, battered south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region with two landfalls on Sunday and Monday, bringing torrential rain that triggered floods, landslides and road collapses.
In Ningming County of Chongzuo City, the water level of the Mingjiang River rose sharply due to the storm and upstream inflow. On Wednesday afternoon, the local hydrological station recorded the river at about 118 meters, nearly two meters above the alert threshold.
Low-lying roads in the county experienced flooding, prompting authorities to organize evacuations and implement traffic restrictions. The Mingjiang River navigation segment has been closed to vessels.
"Since 15:30 on Tuesday, we have enforced traffic controls on this section. The water level is still rising slowly at about two to three centimeters per hour," said Hu Xunfeng, a local official.
Meanwhile, in Longlin Various Nationalities Autonomous County, Baise City, heavy rains triggered multiple landslides early on Wednesday. Emergency response teams were dispatched immediately to conduct rescue and road repair operations. By 10:00 on Wednesday, the typhoon had caused 13 road disruptions within the county, and 11 of them have been restored.
Due to the continuous heavy rainfall, the water levels in the rivers of Baize City have risen. A retaining wall in the Baise-Yangxu section of the Guangzhou–Kunming Expressway shifted, causing a 30-meter-long crack and a significant subsidence of the road surface.
"Since 23:00 on Tuesday, the retaining wall has been gradually collapsing. By 14:00 on Wednesday, it completely caved in, leading to a significant road surface collapse that threatened the safety of vehicles bound for Baise City from Yunnan Province," said Lu Yaodong, an official of the Baise Expressway Operation Co., Ltd.
No accidents have been reported, as local authorities responded swiftly by closing the affected sections and directing stranded vehicles to evacuate. Recovery and repair work are ongoing as officials coordinate further response measures.
Typhoon Matmo lashes south China's Guangxi with flood, landslide
