China to cancel some flights as Typhoon Matmo nears Hainan during peak holiday travel
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HONG KONG - The Chinese authorities will cancel flights in Hainan on the night of Oct 4 before Typhoon Matmo hits the southern province, likely disrupting a peak holiday travel period for the resort island.
All flights to and from the provincial capital Haikou’s international airport are expected to be cancelled from 11pm, the official Xinhua news agency reported, as Matmo could bring strong winds and heavy rain to southern China, including Guangdong and Yunnan provinces.
Matmo, which caused flooding in the Philippines this week, is expected to make landfall on Oct 5.
Haikou plans to halt all schools, work and transport from the afternoon of Oct 4 to Oct 5, Xinhua said.
During China’s eight-day National Day holiday, which began on Oct 1, people are expected to make some 2.36 billion passenger trips, with daily average trips forecast to be up 3.2 per cent from the same period last year, Xinhua said on Oct 1.
Haikou had planned nearly 150 cultural events and more than 10 sports competitions during the holiday period, while the resort city Sanya had planned 170 art and tourism activities, according to Hainan’s official social media.
State media CCTV, citing meteorological experts, asked the public to stay vigilant as Matmo will have a serious impact on tourism and transportation, while the number of travellers is up significantly.
The Hong Kong Observatory said it would raise the tropical cyclone warning signal to Strong Wind Signal No. 3 at 12.20pm and assess the need for higher signals later on Oct 4.
The financial hub has issued 12 tropical cyclone warning signals in 2025, the most since 1946, the observatory said on Oct 3. REUTERS
