Typhoon Matmo Struck Southern China Bringing Massive Relocations
Typhoon Matmo struck the coast on the southern shores of China on Sunday afternoon, shortly after sweeping across the island province of Hainan. The intense weather forced the relocation of around 350,000 residents, delivering torrential rain and damaging winds, especially between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Wenchang in Hainan. Boat transport were suspended and air travel disrupted at the airport in Haikou.
Typhoon Statistics
Matmo, the 21st cyclone of 2025, recorded wind speeds of 151km/h and dumped over 50mm of rainfall in six hours in Qinzhou and Chongzou. The city of Nanning also experienced significant rain amounts.
Matmo prompted China's top-tier red alert, with disruptions in Zhanjiang, where commercial activities, transport links and roads were closed. In the special administrative region, numerous air services were affected and dozens called off.
Future Projections
As Matmo moves inland towards the provincial area in the neighboring country, it is projected to diminish into a less intense system with 55mph winds but will continue to bring substantial precipitation. Northern Vietnam could face significant rainfall on Monday, raising the risk of flooding and landslides. The system is anticipated to move towards Yunnan province in China, where further heavy rainfall is likely.
Global Weather Events
At the same time, Hurricane Priscilla formed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, first as a storm system. It led to a storm watch for the southwestern areas from a coastal point to another location on Monday.
In the early hours of the next day, Priscilla was about 491 kilometers from Cabo Corrientes with continuous gusts of 65mph. It strengthened into a hurricane in the night, when wind speeds reached at 75mph.
Although unlikely to make landfall, Priscilla is expected to generate hazardous swells and rip currents as it tracks north-west along the coast towards a Mexican state. Heavy rainfall is predicted on the coming day, reaching a considerable volume in specific Mexican states, with some areas at about 20 centimeters. Colima and western Jalisco could face moderate to heavy rain.
Elsewhere, a cyclone named Shakhti has developed as the first post-monsoon cyclonic storm of 2025 in the a body of water, causing an alert from the India Meteorological Department for Maharashtra. On that day, Shakhti was 209 kilometers southeast of Ras al Hadd, Oman with maximum sustained winds of 64mph.
Shakhti, which has moved south-westward and weakened, is predicted to recurve towards the east into the Arabian Sea. Rough seas are likely to continue along the coastal stretch and heavy rainfall is expected in shoreline areas including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.