Typhoon Matmo Struck Coastal China Bringing Widespread Relocations
The powerful storm struck the coast on the southern shores of China on the weekend, following its passage over the provincial island of Hainan. The severe weather forced the evacuation of approximately 350,000 residents, delivering torrential rain and damaging winds, particularly between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Hainan's Wenchang. Boat transport were suspended and air travel disrupted at Haikou Meilan airport.
Typhoon Statistics
Matmo, the 21st typhoon of 2025, recorded wind speeds of 94mph and dumped more than 50mm of precipitation in six hours in Qinzhou and Chongzou. The city of Nanning also received significant rain amounts.
The storm prompted China's highest-level red alert, with disruptions in the city, where commercial activities, transportation systems and roads were shut. In the special administrative region, 100 flights were impacted and 30 cancelled.
Future Projections
As the typhoon advances inward towards Cao Bang province in the neighboring country, it is projected to weaken into a tropical depression with 55mph winds but will continue to bring substantial precipitation. Vietnam's northern regions could experience significant rainfall on the following day, increasing the risk of flooding and landslides. The weather pattern is anticipated to move towards Yunnan province in China, where further heavy rainfall is likely.
Global Weather Events
Meanwhile, Hurricane Priscilla developed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, initially as a tropical storm. It prompted a storm watch for the southwestern areas from Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita on the start of the week.
In the morning of Sunday, Priscilla was about 305 miles from Cabo Corrientes with sustained winds of 105km/h. It intensified into a hurricane in the night, when sustained winds reached at 121km/h.
Though not expected to hit the coast, the storm is expected to produce dangerous waves and rip currents as it moves north-west along the coast towards a Mexican state. Heavy rainfall is forecast on Monday, amounting to a considerable volume in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with some areas at about 200mm. Colima and western Jalisco could receive moderate to heavy rain.
In other parts, a cyclone named Shakhti has developed as the initial post-season cyclonic storm of 2025 in the a body of water, causing an alert from the national weather agency for an Indian state. On Sunday, Shakhti was 130 miles southeast of a location in Oman with peak wind speeds of 64mph.
Shakhti, which has moved in a southwestern direction and lost strength, is forecast to turn towards the east into the the sea. Rough seas are likely to persist along the coastal stretch and intense rain is anticipated in shoreline areas including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.
