Tropical Cyclone Matmo Hit Southern China Bringing Widespread Relocations

The powerful storm struck the coast on the coastal regions of China on the weekend, shortly after sweeping across the island province of Hainan. The intense weather led to the evacuation of approximately 350,000 people, bringing torrential rain and destructive gusts, particularly between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Hainan's Wenchang. Ferry services were suspended and flights cancelled at the airport in Haikou.

Storm Details

Matmo, this year's 21st typhoon of the year, recorded wind speeds of 94mph and dumped over 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 Zhanjiang, where businesses, transport links and roads were closed. In Hong Kong, numerous air services were affected and dozens called off.

Future Projections

As Matmo advances inward towards Cao Bang province in Vietnam, it is expected to diminish into a less intense system with 55mph winds but will continue to bring substantial precipitation. Northern Vietnam could experience significant rainfall on Monday, increasing the risk of inundation and mudslides. The weather pattern is anticipated to move towards Yunnan province in China, where additional heavy rainfall is likely.

Global Weather Events

Meanwhile, Hurricane Priscilla formed off the Pacific shoreline of Mexico on Saturday night, initially as a tropical storm. It prompted a weather alert for south-western regions from a coastal point to Punta Mita on Monday.

In the morning of the next day, the hurricane was about 305 miles from Cabo Corrientes with sustained winds of 105km/h. It intensified into a hurricane in the evening, when sustained winds reached at 121km/h.

Although unlikely to make landfall, Priscilla is likely to produce hazardous swells and strong currents as it moves northwestward along the coast towards a Mexican state. Heavy rainfall is predicted on Monday, reaching a considerable volume in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with local totals at about 200mm. Other regions could face moderate to heavy rain.

Elsewhere, Cyclone Shakhti has formed as the initial post-season cyclonic storm of 2025 in the a body of water, prompting an alert from the national weather agency for Maharashtra. On that day, Shakhti was 130 miles south-east of Ras al Hadd, Oman with maximum sustained winds of 103km/h.

The storm, which has tracked in a southwestern direction and weakened, is forecast to turn eastward into the the sea. Turbulent waters are expected to persist along the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and heavy rainfall is expected in coastal districts including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.