Typhoon Matmo Hit Southern China Bringing Massive Evacuations
Typhoon Matmo made landfall on the southern shores of China on Sunday afternoon, shortly after sweeping across the island province of Hainan. The intense weather forced the relocation of approximately 350,000 people, delivering torrential rain and damaging winds, particularly between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Wenchang in Hainan. Ferry services were halted and air travel disrupted at Haikou Meilan airport.
Typhoon Statistics
Matmo, this year's 21st cyclone of 2025, had sustained wind speeds of 94mph and poured more than 50mm of precipitation in a short period in Chongzou and Qinzhou. The city of Nanning also experienced significant rain amounts.
The storm triggered China's highest-level red alert, with disturbances in Zhanjiang, where businesses, transportation systems and highways were closed. In Hong Kong, numerous air services were impacted and 30 cancelled.
Forecast and Movement
As the typhoon advances inward towards the provincial area in Vietnam, it is expected to diminish into a less intense system with 55mph winds but will persist to bring substantial precipitation. Vietnam's northern regions could face significant rainfall on Monday, raising the risk of inundation and landslides. The weather pattern is expected to move towards Yunnan region in China, where additional heavy rainfall is likely.
Other Storm Systems
At the same time, a hurricane named Priscilla formed off Mexico's Pacific coast on Saturday night, first as a tropical storm. It prompted a storm watch for south-western regions from a coastal point to another location on Monday.
In the early hours of Sunday, the hurricane was about 305 miles from Cabo Corrientes with continuous gusts of 105km/h. It intensified into a severe cyclone in the night, when wind speeds reached at 121km/h.
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 predicted on Monday, reaching 100-150mm in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with local totals at about 200mm. Colima and western Jalisco could face moderate to heavy rain.
Elsewhere, a cyclone named Shakhti has formed as the initial post-season cyclonic storm of 2025 in the Arabian Sea, causing an warning from the India Meteorological Department for Maharashtra. On Sunday, the cyclone was 130 miles south-east of a location in Oman with peak wind speeds of 103km/h.
The storm, which has tracked south-westward and weakened, is predicted to turn eastward into the Arabian Sea. Rough seas are likely to continue along the coastal stretch and intense rain is anticipated in shoreline areas including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.
