Red alert as Typhoon Matmo makes landfall in South China

Typhoon Matmo, China's 21st typhoon of the year, made landfall on the eastern coast of Xuwen county in Zhanjiang city at approximately 2:50 pm on Sunday.

Matmo struck with the force of a severe typhoon, classified as category 14. According to the Central Meteorological Observatory and the Guangdong Meteorological Observatory, the typhoon is projected to move northwest at a speed of about 25 kilometers per hour.

As of 3 PM on Sunday, red rainstorm warnings remained in effect for Leizhou and Xuwen in Zhanjiang.

On Sunday afternoon, the Zhanjiang 119 Command Center received an alert that the roof of a lumber processing plant in Xuwen county was on the verge of being blown off, with individuals trapped inside requiring urgent evacuation.

Fire rescue teams moved urgently to the scene and evacuated five people, escorting them to an emergency shelter.