Typhoon Matmo brought wind and rain to southern China on Sunday morning. At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Typhoon Matmo was located at latitude 21.1°N and longitude 110.0°E which put the center about 25 miles (40 km) west of Zhanjiang, China. Matmo was moving toward the west-northwest at 14 m.p.h. (25 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 105 m.p.h. (165 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 125 m.p.h. (200 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 966 mb.
Typhoon Matmo strengthened to the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale before it made landfall on the coast of southern China on Sunday morning. The center of Matmo made landfall near Zhanjiang.
Typhoon Matmo was a large typhoon at the time of landfall. Winds to typhoon force extended out 70 miles (110 km) from the center of Matmo’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 175 miles (280 km) from the center of Typhoon Matmo.
The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Matmo was 17.8. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) was 23.2 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size index (HWISI) was 41.0. Typhoon Matmo was similar in size and intensity to Hurricane Gustav when Gustav hit Louisiana in 2008.
Typhoon Matmo will move around the southern side of a high pressure system that is over southern China. The high pressure system will steer Matmo toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Typhoon Matmo will move inland near the coast of southern China.
Typhoon Matmo will bring strong winds and heavy rain to southwestern Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan. Heavy rain is likely to cause floods in some locations. Matmo could also cause a storm surge of up to 10 feet (3 meters) along parts of the coast. Typhoon Matmo will drop heavy rain on parts of northern Vietnam early next week.
Elsewhere over the Western North Pacific Ocean, former Tropical Depression 28W strengthened to Tropical Storm Halong east of Iwo To. At 5:00 a.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Tropical Storm Halong was located at latitude 25.0°N and longitude 142.0°E which put the center about 65 miles (105 km) east of Iwo To. Halong was moving toward the west-northwest at 5 m.p.h. (8 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 45 m.p.h. (75 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 994 mb.
