The latest storm news on the afternoon of October 3 said that Typhoon Matmo had strengthened when it made landfall in the northern Philippines on the same morning. Office buildings and schools in the northern provinces of Luzon have been suspended due to the threat of the latest typhoon. More than 10 domestic flights have been canceled.
Matmo is likely to bring more than 200mm of rain to Isabela, Aurora and Quirino provinces, while warning of severe flooding and widespread landslides.
After crossing Luzon, Typhoon Matmo is forecast to enter the South China Sea, becoming the 11th typhoon in the South China Sea. Here, warm ocean waters and weak side winds will promote the storm's gradual intensification, according to forecasters from the US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
The latest typhoon forecast from the Hong Kong Meteorological Station (China) shows that Typhoon No. 11 will become a severe typhoon, with maximum sustained winds of 155 km/h, equivalent to a Category 1 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson typhoon scale, before making a second landfall on the Lusian Peninsula, southern China.
According to the China Meteorological Administration, some areas on Hainan Island, as well as some coastal areas of Guangxi, Yunnan and Guangdong, may see heavy to very heavy rain this weekend and last until October 6.
Similarly, according to the Chief Forecaster Xin Xin of the China Meteorological Administration, due to favorable conditions such as high sea surface temperatures and weak wind shear, Typhoon Matmo may weaken slightly when making landfall in the Philippines, but is expected to strengthen again in the East Sea and reach typhoon strength. Typhoon No. 11 Matmo is likely to make landfall in mainland China on October 5, on Hainan Island or the Lusian Peninsula in western Guangdong Province.
Mr. Xin Xin also noted that the path of Matmo is quite clear thanks to a strong and stable subtropical high pressure in the north, making Matmo one of the most predictable storms of the year. The storm's path is expected to be very straight, minimizing uncertainty in the storm's path.
According to weather forecasters from the Quang Dong Meteorological Agency, due to the impact of storm No. 11 in the East Sea, the weather in Quang Dong from the night of October 4 to 5 is forecast to occur in coastal districts and the sea area west of the Chau Giang River mouth, some areas are likely to experience heavy rain.
The Hong Kong Meteorological Station (China) said it will consider issuing a level 1 storm warning signal on the evening of October 3 and assess the need to upgrade to a higher level on October 4 as Typhoon Matmo approaches.
Matmo could also be the 12th typhoon to trigger a typhoon warning in Hong Kong (China) this year, setting a new record since 1946, the typhoon bulletin stated.
