Home / Weather / Typhoon Matmo Approaches Philippines, Threatens Southern China
Typhoon Matmo Approaches Philippines, Threatens Southern China
2 Oct
Summary
- Tropical Storm Matmo expected to intensify into a typhoon
- Matmo to hit Philippines' Luzon region on Friday, then enter South China Sea
- Typhoon Bualoi recently caused deadly flooding and destruction in Vietnam
As of October 2, 2025, Tropical Storm Matmo is edging closer to the Philippines and is expected to intensify into a typhoon that could threaten southern China this weekend. Matmo, which currently has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, is forecast to move west-northwest towards the Philippines' most populous region of Luzon at around 13 mph.
The Philippine weather agency warns that Matmo may make landfall over southern Isabela province or northern Aurora province on Friday, and is expected to cross northern Luzon. There is a moderate risk of life-threatening storm surge in some low-lying areas, and sea travel is deemed risky for all types of vessels.
After hitting the Philippines, Matmo is forecast to enter the South China Sea and strengthen into a typhoon, bringing winds and showers to the Asian financial hub of Hong Kong over the weekend. The storm is then expected to hit the coastal area of China's Guangdong province on Sunday before moving northwest into the Guangxi region and eventually dissipating around Yunnan province next week.
This comes just about a week after the region was battered by Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest storms to hit Asia in years. Meanwhile, Typhoon Bualoi recently left a deadly trail of destruction in Vietnam, with flooding and landslides triggering urgent relief efforts by the country's prime minister.
