Typhoon Matmo unleashes extreme rainfall and record river crests in northern Vietnam

Record floods inundated northern Vietnam from October 7 to 8 after Typhoon Matmo brought up to 500 mm (19.7 inches) of rain across the region. Water levels on the Bang, Thuong, Trung, and Cau rivers exceeded historical benchmarks set in 1986 and 2024, submerging large areas of Thai Nguyen, Lang Son, Cao Bang, and Bac Ninh provinces.

As of October 8, at least eight people are confirmed dead and five are missing after widespread flooding inundated entire neighborhoods across northern provinces.

At 03:00 LT on October 8 (20:00 UTC, October 7), the Cau River at Gia Bay station in Thai Nguyen peaked at 29.9 m (98.1 feet), surpassing the previous record of 28.81 m (94.5 feet) set during Typhoon Yagi in 2024 by 1.09 m (3.6 feet). This marks the highest level observed since records began in 1986.

In Lang Son province, the Thuong River at Huu Lung station reached 24.31 m (79.8 feet), exceeding the historical level by 1.77 m (5.8 feet), while the Cau Son station in Bac Giang recorded 18.13 m (59.5 feet), 2.13 m (7.0 feet) above the highest warning level. At Phu Lang Thuong, water reached 7.46 m (24.5 feet), 1.16 m (3.8 feet) above warning level 3.

In Cao Bang province, the Bang River exceeded the historic flood of 1986 late on October 7 before slowly receding. The Trung River in Lang Son was forecast to peak nearly 2 m (6.5 feet) above its 1986 record.

The Vietnam National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) reported total rainfall of 200–400 mm (7.9–15.7 inches) across wide areas of northern Vietnam, with localized accumulations surpassing 500 mm (19.7 inches) in mountain and midland zones.

The heaviest rainfall occurred between the evening of October 7 and the early hours of October 8, as Typhoon Matmo’s remnants interacted with the northeast monsoon and the region’s complex topography. Moist inflow from the Gulf of Tonkin enhanced convergence along the Red River tributaries, sustaining intense orographic precipitation for more than 24 hours.

Typhoon Matmo, locally known as Typhoon Paolo, was the 21^st named storm of the 2025 Pacific typhoon season. Originating north-northeast of Yap on October 1, it reached Category 2-equivalent intensity on October 5 with one-minute sustained winds of 165 km/h (105 mph) and a central pressure of 968 hPa.

Matmo made landfall in Xuwen County, Guangdong Province, at 14:50 CST (06:50 UTC) on October 5, then crossed Guangxi and weakened into a tropical storm before moving inland over northern Vietnam. Although its core weakened, its broad circulation carried vast moisture, which triggered prolonged, widespread rainfall over northern provinces.

The Ministry of National Defense mobilized 30 000 soldiers, thousands of boats, and three helicopters, which dropped more than 4 tonnes (4.4 tons) of food and emergency supplies to isolated communities in Lang Son and Cao Bang. The Bac Khe 1 hydropower reservoir dam in Lang Son partially failed on October 7, flooding downstream villages and causing estimated losses of USD 1.9 million. Over 200 families were evacuated.

By October 8, at least eight people had died and five were missing. National media reported more than 4 800 houses flooded or damaged, while later tallies indicated over 15 700 houses affected across northern provinces including Hanoi. Approximately 14 600 ha (36 080 acres) of crops were inundated, and 530 cattle and 96 000 poultry were lost. More than 600 transport routes were disrupted by landslides or washouts.

In the Philippines, Matmo brought severe rainfall to northern and central Luzon on October 3. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported 313 822 people affected and 8 380 displaced. Flash floods in Aurora, Isabela, and Batangas prompted large-scale evacuations. Power outages hit 61 areas, and at least one fatality was confirmed in Isabela province.

Outer rainbands reached Hong Kong, producing gale-force winds up to 82 km/h (51 mph) and significant flight delays on October 5. In Guangdong, the typhoon made landfall with 150 km/h (94 mph) winds and a central pressure of 965 hPa, damaging roofs and coastal infrastructure in Zhanjiang and Maoming.

After crossing into northern Vietnam, Matmo’s remnants produced the most extensive flooding since 1986. The combined hydrological system of the Bang, Thuong, Trung, and Cau rivers reached or exceeded record levels simultaneously for the first time in nearly four decades.

By October 7, Matmo’s remnants exacerbated heavy rainfall across 19 provinces in northern and central Thailand, leaving 22 people dead and affecting approximately 370 000 residents.

Typhoon Matmo was the third significant tropical system to affect mainland Southeast Asia in less than two weeks, following Typhoons Bualoi and Yagi.

Meteorologists attribute the scale of flooding to an anomalously strong south-westerly monsoon surge that enhanced moisture transport from the South China Sea into the Red River basin. Warmer sea-surface temperatures across the western Pacific in 2025 may have further increased rainfall intensity.

Teo Blašković

I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.

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