Approaching Typhoon Matmo Forces China to Cancel Flights, Shut Services During National Day Holiday
Chinese authorities have moved to ground flights, halt public services and close businesses across southern provinces as Typhoon Matmo edges closer to landfall, threatening to disrupt one of the country’s busiest holiday travel periods.
The China National Meteorological Centre said Matmo, which re-intensified after sweeping through the Philippines, is projected to hit coastal areas of Guangdong and Hainan on Sunday morning.
The storm could bring winds of up to 170 kilometers per hour, along with torrential rainfall that raises the risk of flooding and landslides across multiple provinces.
Haikou Meilan International Airport, the main gateway to Hainan, will suspend all flights from 11 p.m. local time on Saturday.
The airport had expected to handle more than 630,000 passengers during the October 1–8 National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, a peak travel window for domestic tourism.
Authorities in Haikou also ordered the closure of schools, businesses, construction sites and public transport systems from Saturday afternoon. In Guangdong, the coastal city of Zhanjiang announced similar measures, while ferry and train services across Hainan were halted.
Emergency agencies in both provinces have escalated their typhoon response to high alert. Fishing fleets have been called back to port, while residents have been urged to avoid low-lying areas and coastal zones.
The Ministry of Water Resources has also dispatched teams to monitor river basins in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan and Yunnan, where downpours are expected to intensify.
The timing of the storm poses a major challenge for holidaymakers. China’s Ministry of Transport projected more than 2.3 billion passenger trips during the National Day holiday, and Hainan — often dubbed “China’s Hawaii” — had planned a full calendar of cultural and tourism events, many of which are now expected to be cancelled.
Meteorologists warn that even as Matmo weakens after landfall, its rain bands could linger across southern China, prolonging the threat of flooding and travel chaos into next week.
