Typhoon Matmo Hit Southern China Causing Massive Relocations

Typhoon Matmo made landfall on the coastal regions of China on the weekend, shortly after passage over the provincial island of Hainan. The intense weather led to the evacuation of around 350,000 people, delivering torrential rain and damaging winds, particularly between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Hainan's Wenchang. Ferry services were suspended and flights cancelled at the airport in Haikou.

Typhoon Statistics

Matmo, the 21st cyclone of 2025, recorded wind speeds of 151km/h and dumped more than 50mm of precipitation in six hours in Chongzou and Qinzhou. The city of the region also experienced high rainfall totals.

Matmo triggered China's top-tier red alert, with disturbances in the city, where businesses, transportation systems and roads were closed. In the special administrative region, numerous air services were affected and 30 cancelled.

Forecast and Movement

As the typhoon advances inward towards the provincial area in Vietnam, it is expected to diminish into a tropical depression with 89km/h winds but will persist to bring heavy rainfall. Northern Vietnam could experience significant rainfall on Monday, increasing the risk of flooding and landslides. The system is expected to move towards Yunnan region in China, where additional heavy rainfall is probable.

Global Weather Events

At the same time, a hurricane named Priscilla developed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, first as a storm system. It led to a weather alert for the southwestern areas from Punta San Telmo to another location on the start of the week.

In the early hours of the next day, the hurricane was about 491 kilometers from a Mexican cape with continuous gusts of 65mph. It intensified into a hurricane in the night, when sustained winds reached at 75mph.

Although unlikely to make landfall, Priscilla is likely to produce dangerous waves and rip currents as it tracks north-west along the coast towards Baja California Sur. Heavy rainfall is forecast on Monday, reaching 100-150mm in specific Mexican states, with local totals at about 20 centimeters. Colima and western Jalisco could face 50-100mm.

In other parts, Cyclone Shakhti has developed as the first post-monsoon cyclonic storm of the year in the a body of water, causing an warning from the national weather agency for an Indian state. On that day, Shakhti was 209 kilometers south-east of Ras al Hadd, Oman with peak wind speeds of 103km/h.

The storm, which has moved south-westward and weakened, is predicted to recurve eastward into the the sea. Turbulent waters are expected to continue along the coastal stretch and intense rain is anticipated in coastal districts including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.

Sarah Campbell
Sarah Campbell

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