Typhoon Matmo strengthens, prompting China to evacuate 347,000 people ahead of landfall

BANGKOK (AP) — Typhoon Matmo strengthened ahead of making landfall Sunday in China, prompting the government to evacuate some 347,000 people from the southern provinces of Guangdong and Hainan.

The typhoon had maximum sustained wind speeds of 151 kph (94 mph) on Sunday morning, according to China’s National Meteorological Center. It hit Zhanjiang in Guangdong around mid-afternoon Sunday. The weather authority issued a red-level typhoon warning, the highest in its system.