Tropical Cyclone Matmo Hit Coastal China Bringing Massive Relocations
Typhoon Matmo made landfall on the southern shores of China on Sunday afternoon, following its passage over the island province of Hainan. The severe weather forced the relocation of around 350,000 people, bringing heavy downpours and damaging winds, especially between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Wenchang in Hainan. Ferry services were halted and flights cancelled at Haikou Meilan airport.
Storm Details
The typhoon, the 21st typhoon of 2025, had sustained wind speeds of 151km/h and dumped more than 50mm of rainfall in six hours in Qinzhou and Chongzou. Urban areas of the region also experienced significant rain amounts.
The storm prompted China's highest-level red alert, with disruptions in Zhanjiang, where businesses, transport links and highways were closed. In Hong Kong, numerous air services were impacted and 30 cancelled.
Forecast and Movement
As the typhoon moves inland towards Cao Bang province in Vietnam, it is projected to weaken into a less intense system with 89km/h winds but will persist to bring substantial precipitation. Vietnam's northern regions could experience 130-150mm on the following day, increasing the risk of flooding and mudslides. The weather pattern is expected to move towards Yunnan region in China, where additional heavy rainfall is probable.
Other Storm Systems
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 south-western regions from a coastal point to another location on Monday.
In the morning of the next day, Priscilla was about 491 kilometers from a Mexican cape with sustained winds of 65mph. It strengthened into a hurricane in the night, when sustained winds reached at 121km/h.
Although unlikely to hit the coast, the storm is likely to produce dangerous waves and strong currents as it moves northwestward along the coast towards a Mexican state. Heavy rainfall is forecast on the coming day, reaching a considerable volume in MichoacÃĄn and western Guerrero, with some areas at about 200mm. Colima and western Jalisco could face moderate to heavy rain.
Elsewhere, a cyclone named Shakhti has developed as the first post-monsoon cyclonic storm of the year in the a body of water, prompting an alert from the national weather agency for an Indian state. On that day, the cyclone was 209 kilometers southeast of Ras al Hadd, Oman with maximum sustained winds of 64mph.
The storm, which has moved south-westward and weakened, is forecast to turn eastward into the the sea. Rough seas are likely to continue along the coastal stretch and intense rain is expected in shoreline areas including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.
