Typhoon Matmo continues to lash China

BEIJING - More areas of China have been affected by Typhoon Matmo, which moved northward on Thursday.

According to a National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecast, Matmo, the 10th typhoon to affect China this year, is moving north with a wind speed of up to 20 to 25 kilometers per hour.

The typhoon, which made landfall in Fujian Province on Wednesday, has brought strong winds and heavy downpours to parts of the country.

On Thursday morning, more floodwater flowed into the Yangting reservoir of Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. More than 8,000 residents in downstream areas were relocated.

"I brought nothing with me when I was being evacuated. I do not know when I can go home," said Wang Xinhua, a furniture factory worker.

According to the hydrographic office of Jiangxi Province, nearly 53 counties had been affected by heavy rain as of 2 p.m..

De'an County was the hardest hit. A farmer was washed away by floods and his two granddaughters were trapped in their house. Rescue work is under way, the local flood control department said.

The railway authority of Nanchang City suspended another nine electric multiple unit trains, raising the total number to 285.

As of 7 p.m., heavy rain had affected 10,750 residents in Jiujiang City, with one death and two people missing, and 87 houses toppled.

In east China's Zhejiang Province, Matmo has caused economic losses of 27.9 million yuan (about 4.5 million U.S. dollars) and forced more than 50,000 residents to relocate, the provincial flood control and drought relief headquarters said.

The meteorological authority of Shangdong Province has issued a yellow warning for the typhoon, and forecast Matmo to land in the province at noon on Friday.

China has a four-color-coded warning system for severe weather, with red being the most serious, followed by orange, yellow and blue.

Many people traveling to eastern coastal regions during the summer holiday have been affected. Laoshan scenic area in Shangdong was closed on Thursday.