GUANGZHOU - South China's Guangdong province has raised its typhoon emergency response to the highest level as Typhoon Matmo intensified, with cumulative evacuations exceeding 150,000 people to ensure safety.

The provincial flood control headquarters upgraded the response to Level I on Sunday morning. By Saturday evening, a total of 151,352 residents had been relocated, including 9,916 from maritime areas.

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Typhoon Matmo, the 21st named storm of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season, moving northwest at about 25 km per hour, is forecast to make landfall around noon as a severe typhoon with winds of up to 45 meters per second. Heavy rain and storms are expected in coastal cities.

In preparation, the city of Zhanjiang has implemented a full-scale shutdown of classes, work, production, transport, and businesses since Saturday evening, and closed all highways from Sunday morning. Maritime authorities have suspended operations in affected waters, with rescue resources deployed across the region.