Typhoon Matmo Hit Coastal China Bringing Widespread Relocations
Typhoon Matmo struck the coast on the southern shores of China on Sunday afternoon, shortly after passage over the island province of Hainan. The intense weather led to the relocation of around 350,000 residents, delivering torrential rain and damaging winds, particularly between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Hainan's Wenchang. Ferry services were suspended and flights cancelled at Haikou Meilan airport.
Storm Details
Matmo, the 21st cyclone of 2025, recorded wind speeds of 94mph and dumped more than 50mm of precipitation in a short period in Qinzhou and Chongzou. Urban areas of Nanning also experienced significant rain amounts.
Matmo triggered China's top-tier emergency warning, with disruptions in the city, where businesses, transportation systems and roads were closed. In Hong Kong, numerous air services were affected and 30 cancelled.
Future Projections
As the typhoon moves inland towards Cao Bang province in the neighboring country, it is projected to diminish into a tropical depression with 89km/h winds but will persist to bring heavy rainfall. Northern Vietnam could experience significant rainfall on the following day, increasing the risk of flooding and landslides. The system is expected to move towards Yunnan province in China, where additional heavy rainfall is likely.
Other Storm Systems
Meanwhile, Hurricane Priscilla developed off the Pacific shoreline of Mexico on the weekend, initially as a tropical storm. It prompted a storm watch for south-western regions from Punta San Telmo to another location on Monday.
In the early hours of the next day, the hurricane was about 491 kilometers from Cabo Corrientes with continuous gusts of 105km/h. It strengthened into a severe cyclone in the evening, when wind speeds peaked at 75mph.
Although unlikely to make landfall, Priscilla is likely to produce dangerous waves and strong currents as it moves north-west along the coast towards a Mexican state. Substantial rain is predicted on the coming day, reaching a considerable volume in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with some areas at about 200mm. Other regions could face moderate to heavy rain.
Elsewhere, Cyclone 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 an Indian state. On that day, the cyclone was 209 kilometers south-east of Ras al Hadd, Oman with peak wind speeds of 64mph.
The storm, which has tracked in a southwestern direction and weakened, is predicted to turn eastward into the the sea. Turbulent waters are likely to persist along the coastal stretch and heavy rainfall is expected in shoreline areas including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.
