Typhoon Matmo Struck Southern China Causing Widespread Relocations
Typhoon Matmo struck the coast on the coastal regions of China on Sunday afternoon, following its sweeping across the provincial island of Hainan. The intense weather forced the relocation of approximately 350,000 residents, delivering torrential rain and damaging winds, particularly between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Wenchang in Hainan. Boat transport were halted and air travel disrupted at the airport in Haikou.
Storm Details
The typhoon, this year's 21st typhoon of 2025, recorded wind speeds of 151km/h and dumped over 50mm of rainfall in a short period in Qinzhou and Chongzou. Urban areas of Nanning also experienced high rainfall totals.
The storm triggered China's highest-level red alert, with disturbances in Zhanjiang, where commercial activities, transportation systems and highways were closed. In Hong Kong, 100 flights were affected and 30 cancelled.
Forecast and Movement
As Matmo moves inland towards the provincial area in Vietnam, it is projected to diminish into a tropical depression with 55mph winds but will continue to bring substantial precipitation. Vietnam's northern regions 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.
Other Storm Systems
At the same time, a hurricane named Priscilla formed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, first as a storm system. It led to a storm watch for south-western regions from Punta San Telmo to another location on Monday.
In the morning of Sunday, the hurricane was about 491 kilometers from a Mexican cape with continuous gusts of 105km/h. It intensified into a hurricane in the evening, when wind speeds peaked at 75mph.
Though not expected to hit the coast, Priscilla is likely to produce hazardous swells and strong currents as it moves north-west along the coast towards a Mexican state. Heavy rainfall is predicted on Monday, reaching a considerable volume in specific Mexican states, with some areas at about 20 centimeters. Colima and western Jalisco could face 50-100mm.
In other parts, Cyclone Shakhti has formed as the initial post-season storm system of the year in the Arabian Sea, causing an alert from the national weather agency for an Indian state. On Sunday, Shakhti was 130 miles southeast of Ras al Hadd, Oman with peak wind speeds of 103km/h.
The storm, which has moved in a southwestern direction and weakened, is forecast to recurve eastward into the the sea. Rough seas are expected to continue along the coastal stretch and intense rain is expected in shoreline areas including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.
