China activates emergency response for flood control in Yunnan

Beijing, Oct 6 (IANS) China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters activated a Level-IV emergency response for flood control in its southwestern Yunnan Province on Monday.

It has also dispatched a work team to assist and guide flood prevention efforts.

According to meteorological forecasts, parts of Yunnan are expected to experience heavy rainfall in the coming days under the influence of Typhoon Matmo, the 21st named storm of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season, with some areas likely to see torrential downpours of up to 190 mm.

China's emergency response system has four tiers, with Level I being the most severe, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on October 5, Typhoon Matmo made landfall along the eastern coast of Xuwen County, Zhanjiang City, in south China's Guangdong Province, according to Guangdong's meteorological service.

The typhoon had made landfall with maximum wind force near its centre, reaching 42 metres per second and a central minimum pressure of 965 hectopascals.

The typhoon had caused severe damage to the power grids of Suixi County in Zhanjiang, leading to power outages in parts of the county. Emergency response teams were promptly deployed to assess the damage and initiate repairs.

As of 7 p.m. on Sunday, the Guangdong branch of China Southern Power Grid had mobilised nearly 40,000 emergency personnel, about 170 emergency power vehicles, and 550 emergency generators to the affected areas.

Meteorological authorities say the typhoon continues to move northwest. The authorities forecast that Zhanjiang and the nearby Maoming City will experience moderate rain turning to showers on Monday.

Hundreds of thousands of people were also evacuated from their homes as Typhoon Matmo lashed China's southern coast on Sunday, state media reported.

China is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, which scientists say are accelerating climate change and making extreme weather events more frequent and intense.

--IANS

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