Typhoon Matmo lashes southern China with strong winds and heavy rain

Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from their homes as Typhoon Matmo lashed China's southern coast on Sunday, state media reported. The powerful storm made landfall around 2:50 pm local time in Guangdong province. The National Meteorological Centre recorded winds of more than 150 km per hour.

Public transportation, construction sites and businesses were also shuttered in coastal cities. The intensity of the typhoon is expected to gradually decrease after making landfall but torrential rain and strong winds were expected until Monday in Hainan and parts of Guangdong and Guangxi.