Typhoon Matmo Hit Southern China Bringing Widespread Evacuations
Typhoon Matmo struck the coast on the southern shores of China on the weekend, shortly after sweeping across the provincial island of Hainan. The intense weather led to the evacuation of approximately 350,000 people, bringing heavy downpours and damaging winds, especially between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Hainan's Wenchang. Boat transport were halted and flights cancelled at Haikou Meilan airport.
Storm Details
Matmo, the 21st typhoon of 2025, had sustained wind speeds of 151km/h and poured more than 50mm of precipitation in a short period in Chongzou and Qinzhou. Urban areas of Nanning also received high rainfall totals.
Matmo triggered China's top-tier emergency warning, with disruptions in the city, where businesses, transport links and highways were shut. In Hong Kong, 100 flights were impacted and dozens called off.
Future Projections
As Matmo moves inland towards Cao Bang province in Vietnam, it is projected to diminish into a less intense system with 89km/h winds but will continue to bring substantial precipitation. Northern Vietnam could experience significant rainfall on the following day, raising the risk of inundation and mudslides. The weather pattern is expected to move towards Yunnan region in China, where further intense rain is likely.
Global Weather Events
At the same time, a hurricane named Priscilla formed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, initially as a storm system. It prompted a storm watch for the southwestern areas from Punta San Telmo to another location on Monday.
In the early hours of the next day, the hurricane was about 305 miles from Cabo Corrientes with sustained winds of 65mph. It intensified into a severe cyclone in the night, when wind speeds reached at 75mph.
Although unlikely to make landfall, the storm is expected to produce dangerous waves and rip currents as it moves northwestward along the coast towards Baja California Sur. Heavy rainfall is forecast on Monday, amounting to a considerable volume in MichoacÃĄn and western Guerrero, with some areas at about 200mm. Other regions could face 50-100mm.
In other parts, Cyclone Shakhti has developed as the initial post-season storm system of the year in the a body of water, prompting an warning from the national weather agency for Maharashtra. On Sunday, the cyclone was 209 kilometers south-east of Ras al Hadd, Oman with peak wind speeds of 64mph.
The storm, which has moved south-westward and weakened, is forecast to recurve towards the east into the the sea. Rough seas are likely to persist along the coastal stretch and intense rain is expected in shoreline areas including specific Indian cities.
