Typhoon Matmo Hit Southern China Causing Massive Relocations

Typhoon Matmo struck the coast on the coastal regions of China on the weekend, following its passage over the island province of Hainan. The intense weather forced the evacuation of around 350,000 people, bringing torrential rain and damaging winds, particularly between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Hainan's Wenchang. Ferry services were halted and air travel disrupted at Haikou Meilan airport.

Typhoon Statistics

The typhoon, the 21st typhoon of 2025, had sustained wind speeds of 151km/h and poured over 50mm of precipitation in a short period in Qinzhou and Chongzou. The city of Nanning also experienced significant rain amounts.

Matmo prompted China's highest-level red alert, with disturbances in the city, where businesses, transport links and roads were closed. In Hong Kong, 100 flights were impacted and 30 cancelled.

Future Projections

As Matmo moves inland towards the provincial area in Vietnam, it is expected to diminish into a tropical depression with 55mph winds but will continue to bring heavy rainfall. Northern Vietnam could face 130-150mm on the following day, increasing the risk of flooding and landslides. The weather pattern is expected to move towards Yunnan province in China, where additional heavy rainfall is likely.

Global Weather Events

Meanwhile, a hurricane named Priscilla formed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, first as a tropical storm. It led to a storm watch for the southwestern areas from Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita on the start of the week.

In the early hours of Sunday, the hurricane was about 491 kilometers from a Mexican cape with continuous gusts of 105km/h. It strengthened into a severe cyclone in the evening, when sustained winds peaked at 121km/h.

Although unlikely to hit the coast, the storm is expected to produce dangerous waves and rip currents as it tracks northwestward along the coast towards a Mexican state. Heavy rainfall is predicted on the coming day, amounting to a considerable volume in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with local totals at about 20 centimeters. Other regions could face moderate to heavy rain.

Elsewhere, a cyclone named Shakhti has formed as the first post-monsoon cyclonic storm of 2025 in the a body of water, causing an alert from the India Meteorological Department for an Indian state. On Sunday, Shakhti was 209 kilometers southeast of a location in Oman with peak wind speeds of 64mph.

The storm, which has moved south-westward and lost strength, is predicted to recurve towards the east into the Arabian Sea. Rough seas are likely to continue along the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and intense rain is expected in shoreline areas including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.