Typhoon Matmo Hit Southern China Causing Widespread Relocations
The powerful storm struck the coast on the southern shores of China on the weekend, following its sweeping across the island province of Hainan. The severe weather led to the relocation of approximately 350,000 people, bringing heavy downpours and destructive gusts, particularly between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Hainan's Wenchang. Boat transport were suspended and air travel disrupted at the airport in Haikou.
Storm Details
The typhoon, the 21st cyclone of 2025, recorded wind speeds of 151km/h and dumped more than 50mm of precipitation in a short period in Qinzhou and Chongzou. Urban areas of Nanning also received high rainfall totals.
The storm prompted China's top-tier red alert, with disruptions in the city, where commercial activities, transportation systems and highways were closed. In Hong Kong, 100 flights were impacted and 30 cancelled.
Future Projections
As the typhoon moves inland towards the provincial area in Vietnam, it is projected to diminish into a tropical depression with 55mph winds but will persist to bring substantial precipitation. Vietnam's northern regions could experience significant rainfall on the following day, raising the risk of inundation and landslides. The weather pattern is anticipated to move towards Yunnan province in China, where additional heavy rainfall is likely.
Other Storm Systems
Meanwhile, Hurricane Priscilla formed off the Pacific shoreline of Mexico on Saturday night, first as a storm system. It prompted a storm watch for the southwestern areas from a coastal point to Punta Mita on Monday.
In the early hours of the next day, the hurricane was about 491 kilometers from a Mexican cape with sustained winds of 105km/h. It strengthened into a hurricane in the evening, when sustained winds reached at 75mph.
Although unlikely to hit the coast, the storm is likely to produce hazardous swells and rip currents as it tracks northwestward along the coast towards Baja California Sur. Substantial rain is forecast on Monday, amounting to a considerable volume in specific Mexican states, with local totals at about 20 centimeters. Colima and western Jalisco could receive moderate to heavy rain.
In other parts, a cyclone named Shakhti has developed as the first post-monsoon cyclonic storm of the year in the Arabian Sea, causing an alert from the national weather agency for Maharashtra. On that day, the cyclone was 209 kilometers southeast of Ras al Hadd, Oman with peak wind speeds of 64mph.
The storm, which has tracked in a southwestern direction and lost strength, is predicted to recurve towards the east into the the sea. Rough seas are expected to persist along the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and intense rain is expected in shoreline areas including specific Indian cities.
