Typhoon Matmo forces Starlux to cancel two return flights

Taipei, Oct. 4 (CNA) Taiwan's Starlux Airlines canceled two round-trip flights scheduled for Sunday, one between Taipei and Hong Kong and the other between Taipei and Macau, due to the approaching Typhoon Matmo.

Starlux said it canceled flight JX233, scheduled to depart Taoyuan International Airport at 8 a.m. Sunday for Hong Kong International Airport, and its return flight JX234 at 11:20 a.m. It also grounded flights JX201 and JX202, departing Taoyuan for Macau at 8:05 a.m. and returning at 11 a.m.

According to Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA), Matmo intensified from a tropical storm into a typhoon at 8 a.m. Saturday.

As of 2 p.m., Matmo was over waters 460 kilometers south-southeast of Hong Kong, or 710 km southwest of Cape Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point, the CWA said. It was moving west-northwest at 23 km per hour toward China's Hainan Island, with sustained winds of 126 kph and gusts up to 162 kph.

Matmo is expected to disrupt China's week-long National Day holiday, which runs from Oct. 1 to Oct. 8.

Starlux urged passengers to check its website or customer service centers for the latest flight updates.