China's Guangdong Evacuates 150,000 as Typhoon Matmo Prompts Top-Level Response

Typhoon Matmo, the 21st named storm of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season, has intensified into a severe typhoon prompting southern China's Guangdong Province to raise its emergency response to the highest level and evacuate over 150,000 residents to ensure safety. The typhoon, moving northwest at about 25 km/h with winds reaching up to 45 meters per second (approximately 151 km/h), is expected to make landfall around midday, bringing heavy rains and strong winds to Guangdong, Hainan, and Guangxi provinces. Authorities have implemented widespread precautions including shutting down classes, work, transport, and businesses, with maritime activities suspended and emergency rescue personnel deployed across the region. Hainan province has canceled flights and public transportation, while Macau canceled classes despite not being in the direct path due to heavy rainfall forecasts. After making landfall, Matmo is predicted to weaken and shift westward and northward towards northern Vietnam and China's Yunnan province. The coordinated response reflects stringent measures to mitigate the storm's impact on millions in the affected coastal and inland areas.