Key Points

China's National Meteorological Centre has raised the typhoon warning to red, the highest possible level, warning that the storm could intensify into a severe typhoon before making landfall around noon on Sunday, as per Xinhua.

Officials described the situation as "extremely dangerous", urging residents to prepare for destructive winds and torrential rain.

As per Xinhua, authorities in Hainan have already shut down all train services for Sunday, with the island's high-speed rail expected to resume only on Monday. More than 200 flights in and out of Haikou Meilan International Airport have been cancelled from Saturday night, while ferry services linking Hainan to Guangdong are also suspended.

Sanya Phoenix International Airport remains open, but officials warned travellers to expect severe delays and possible cancellations as the storm strengthens.

The cities of Haikou and Wenchang have gone into near lockdown. Schools, businesses, public transport, and tourist sites have all been closed. Local authorities have ordered residents to stay indoors as roofs, power lines, and even entire structures could collapse under winds forecast to reach up to 48 meters per second (173 km/h).

In Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, 25 major tourist attractions and beaches have been closed, and over 200 public events have been cancelled.

Meteorologists warned that Matmo could dump massive amounts of rain across southern China, raising the risk of life-threatening flash floods and landslides. Northern parts of Hainan Island are expected to be hit by violent winds and sheets of rain starting Saturday night, worsening through Sunday.

The Vietnamese National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has also sounded alarms, stating that the storm could hit northern Vietnam by late Sunday, threatening popular tourist destinations in coastal and mountainous areas with flash floods and mudslides, according to the US embassy in Vietnam.

China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters has escalated its emergency response to Level III for Guangdong and Hainan, while Hainan's provincial government has gone further, declaring a Level I emergency, its most severe warning.

"Residents must prepare for the worst. Stay indoors, stock up on essentials, and avoid unnecessary movement," emergency officials warned in a late-night bulletin.

The US embassy in China issued a travel advisory as the typhoon's landfall nears. The advisory clearly noted that the Matmo is expected to make landfall on october 5, and asked people to "not travel to the storm areas"

The embassy further asked to track local news for updates and keep an emergency kit ready and "ensure you have needed medicines and other supplies, " wrote the embassy.

- ANI