Tropical Cyclone Matmo Struck Coastal China Bringing Massive Evacuations

Typhoon Matmo made landfall on the coastal regions of China on Sunday afternoon, following its passage over the provincial island of Hainan. The intense weather forced the relocation of around 350,000 residents, bringing heavy downpours and destructive gusts, especially between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Hainan's Wenchang. Boat transport were halted and flights cancelled at Haikou Meilan airport.

Storm Details

The typhoon, this year's 21st typhoon of the year, recorded wind speeds of 151km/h and poured over 50mm of rainfall in a short period in Qinzhou and Chongzou. Urban areas of the region also received high rainfall totals.

Matmo prompted China's top-tier red alert, with disturbances in the city, where commercial activities, transportation systems and highways were closed. In Hong Kong, 100 flights were affected and 30 cancelled.

Future Projections

As Matmo advances inward towards Cao Bang province in Vietnam, it is expected to weaken into a less intense system with 89km/h winds but will persist to bring substantial precipitation. Northern Vietnam could face significant rainfall on the following day, increasing the risk of inundation and landslides. The weather pattern is expected to move towards Yunnan region in China, where further heavy rainfall is likely.

Global Weather Events

Meanwhile, a hurricane named Priscilla developed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, first as a tropical storm. It led to a weather alert for south-western regions from a coastal point 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 severe cyclone in the night, when wind speeds reached at 121km/h.

Though not expected to make landfall, Priscilla is likely to produce hazardous swells and strong currents as it moves northwestward along the coast towards a Mexican state. Substantial rain is predicted on the coming day, amounting to 100-150mm in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with local totals at about 200mm. Other regions could receive moderate to heavy rain.

In other parts, a cyclone named Shakhti has formed as the initial post-season cyclonic storm of 2025 in the Arabian Sea, prompting an alert from the India Meteorological Department for Maharashtra. On that day, the cyclone was 130 miles south-east of Ras al Hadd, Oman with maximum sustained winds of 64mph.

Shakhti, which has tracked south-westward and weakened, is forecast to turn eastward into the Arabian Sea. Rough seas are likely to continue along the coastal stretch and heavy rainfall is anticipated in coastal districts including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.