Tropical Cyclone Matmo Slammed Coastal China Bringing Widespread Relocations

Typhoon Matmo made landfall on the southern shores of China on the weekend, following its sweeping across the provincial island of Hainan. The severe weather forced the evacuation of around 350,000 people, bringing torrential rain and damaging winds, particularly between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Hainan's Wenchang. Ferry services were halted and flights cancelled at the airport in Haikou.

Typhoon Statistics

Matmo, the 21st cyclone of 2025, had sustained wind speeds of 151km/h and poured over 50mm of precipitation in a short period in Chongzou and Qinzhou. Urban areas of the region also received significant rain amounts.

Matmo triggered China's top-tier emergency warning, with disturbances in Zhanjiang, where commercial activities, transport links and highways were shut. In the special administrative region, numerous air services were affected and dozens called off.

Forecast and Movement

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 heavy rainfall. Vietnam's northern regions could face significant rainfall on the following day, raising the risk of inundation and landslides. The system is expected to move towards Yunnan region in China, where further heavy rainfall is likely.

Global Weather Events

Meanwhile, Hurricane Priscilla developed off the Pacific shoreline of Mexico on Saturday night, first as a storm system. It led to a weather alert for the southwestern areas from Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita on the start of the week.

In the early hours of the next day, the hurricane was about 491 kilometers from Cabo Corrientes with sustained winds of 65mph. It strengthened into a hurricane in the night, when sustained winds reached at 121km/h.

Though not expected to make landfall, Priscilla is likely to produce dangerous waves and rip currents as it moves northwestward along the coast towards Baja California Sur. Substantial rain is forecast on Monday, reaching a considerable volume in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with local totals at about 20 centimeters. Colima and western Jalisco could receive moderate to heavy rain.

In other parts, a cyclone named Shakhti has formed as the initial post-season storm system of 2025 in the Arabian Sea, causing an alert from the national weather agency for Maharashtra. On Sunday, Shakhti was 130 miles southeast of Ras al Hadd, Oman with peak wind speeds of 64mph.

Shakhti, which has tracked south-westward and weakened, is predicted to turn towards the east into the the sea. Rough seas are likely to continue along the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and intense rain is expected in coastal districts including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.

Breanna Gonzalez
Breanna Gonzalez

A passionate designer and entrepreneur focused on bringing joy through personalized paper products.