Typhoon Matmo Slammed Southern China Causing Widespread Relocations
Typhoon Matmo struck the coast on the southern shores of China on Sunday afternoon, following its sweeping across the island province of Hainan. The severe weather led to the evacuation of around 350,000 residents, bringing heavy downpours and damaging winds, particularly between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Wenchang in Hainan. Boat transport were suspended and flights cancelled at the airport in Haikou.
Typhoon Statistics
Matmo, the 21st typhoon of 2025, recorded wind speeds of 94mph and dumped over 50mm of rainfall in six hours in Qinzhou and Chongzou. The city of Nanning also received high rainfall totals.
Matmo triggered China's top-tier red alert, with disturbances in the city, where businesses, transport links and highways were shut. In the special administrative region, 100 flights were impacted and dozens called off.
Forecast and Movement
As Matmo moves inland towards Cao Bang province in Vietnam, it is projected to weaken into a tropical depression with 89km/h winds but will persist to bring substantial precipitation. Northern Vietnam could face significant rainfall on the following day, raising the risk of flooding and landslides. The system is expected to move towards Yunnan region in China, where additional intense rain is likely.
Global Weather Events
At the same time, Hurricane Priscilla developed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, first as a tropical storm. It led to a storm watch for the southwestern areas from a coastal point to Punta Mita on the start of the week.
In the morning of Sunday, Priscilla was about 491 kilometers from a Mexican cape with sustained winds of 105km/h. It intensified into a hurricane in the evening, when sustained winds peaked at 75mph.
Although unlikely to hit the coast, the storm is expected to produce hazardous swells and rip currents as it tracks north-west along the coast towards Baja California Sur. Substantial rain is forecast on Monday, reaching a considerable volume in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with some areas at about 20 centimeters. Colima and western Jalisco could receive 50-100mm.
Elsewhere, a cyclone named Shakhti has formed as the initial post-season cyclonic storm of the year in the a body of water, causing an warning from the India Meteorological Department for an Indian state. On that day, the cyclone was 209 kilometers southeast of a location in Oman with peak wind speeds of 64mph.
Shakhti, which has moved in a southwestern direction and weakened, is forecast to turn towards the east into the the sea. Turbulent waters are expected to continue along the coastal stretch and intense rain is expected in coastal districts including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.