HONG KONG – Asia faces another major weather threat as Tropical Storm Matmo continues to intensify approaching the Philippines and posing a potential typhoon threat to southern China this weekend. This comes shortly after the region was left reeling from the devastating impact of Super Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest storms to hit the area in years.
As of its latest bulletin Tropical Storm Matmo, known locally in the Philippines as Paolo has escalated in strength and is tracking west-northwest. It currently boasts maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour (kph) and is moving at a speed of 22 kph toward the vicinity of Luzon the Philippines most populous island.
The Philippine weather agency has issued urgent warnings regarding a potential landfall in the provinces of southern Isabela or northern Aurora. Authorities forecast a moderate risk of life-threatening storm surge in low-lying coastal areas and have strongly advised against sea travel for all vessels over the next 36 hours.
Escalation to Typhoon Status Expected
Forecasters in Hong Kong are closely monitoring Matmo trajectory which is expected to cross northern Luzon before emerging over the South China Sea. Once over the warm waters, the storm is predicted to rapidly intensify, likely escalating into a typhoon over the weekend.
The upgraded storm is then forecast to track toward the coast of southern China bringing inclement weather, strong winds, and squally showers to the financial hub of Hong Kong and making a push toward the vital economic region of Guangdong province by Sunday. The storm is predicted to eventually dissipate in Yunnan province the following week.
The arrival of Matmo places additional stress on the Philippines which is not only still recovering from Super Typhoon Ragasa but is also grappling with the aftermath of a recent 6.9 magnitude earthquake that killed dozens in its central region. The consecutive natural disasters are significantly complicating emergency response and recovery efforts across the affected nations.