Typhoon Paolo Matmo Makes Landfall in Northern Philippines

Typhoon Paolo, internationally named Matmo, made landfall in the northern Philippines on Friday morning, striking Dinapigue town in Isabela province at about 9 a.m., the national weather bureau said. The storm arrived with maximum sustained winds near the center of about 130 kilometers per hour, gusts as high as 215 kph, and battered Northern Luzon with heavy rains, strong winds and dangerous seas before weakening as it crossed the island chain and moved back over open water.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Paolo intensified over the Philippine Sea before landfall and prompted the agency to raise multiple tropical cyclone wind signals across Luzon. After moving inland the system weakened to a severe tropical storm, with PAGASA reporting sustained winds near 110 kph and gusts up to 165 kph as it traversed the mountainous terrain. By Saturday morning Paolo had exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility and was moving westnorthwest toward the West Philippine Sea and southern China, but forecasters warned it could reintensify over open water.

PAGASA and local authorities issued widespread rainfall and storm surge warnings....