China activates emergency response as Typhoon Matmo approaches

BEIJING -- China on Friday activated a Level-IV emergency flood and typhoon response in the southern provinces of Guangdong and Hainan as Typhoon Matmo -- the 21st named storm of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season -- approaches, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has called on local authorities to initiate emergency response measures, and to ensure the prevention and control of flooding and urban waterlogging, as well as the safety of visitors during the ongoing national holiday, the ministry said.

China's National Meteorological Center on Friday issued a yellow alert for Typhoon Matmo, which is expected to make landfall on the coast between Wanning in Hainan and Dianbai in Guangdong on Sunday.

The center warned that gales will hit the Bashi Channel, parts of the South China Sea, and the coastal waters of Guangdong, southern Taiwan and eastern Hainan from Friday night to Saturday night.

China has a four-tier emergency response system, with Level I being the most severe response, and a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.