🔗 Share this article

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

Typhoon Statistics

The typhoon, this year's 21st cyclone of the year, had sustained wind speeds of 94mph and poured more than 50mm of rainfall in six hours in Qinzhou and Chongzou. Urban areas of Nanning also experienced significant rain amounts.

Matmo triggered China's highest-level red alert, with disturbances in the city, where businesses, transportation systems and roads were shut. In Hong Kong, 100 flights were impacted and 30 cancelled.

Forecast and Movement

As Matmo moves inland towards the provincial area in the neighboring country, it is expected to diminish into a less intense system with 55mph winds but will persist to bring heavy rainfall. Vietnam's northern regions could experience 130-150mm on Monday, raising the threat of inundation and mudslides. The weather pattern is expected to move towards Yunnan region in China, where further heavy rainfall is likely.

Other Storm Systems

Meanwhile, a hurricane named Priscilla developed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, initially as a tropical storm. It led to a storm watch for south-western regions from a coastal point to another location on Monday.

In the early hours of Sunday, Priscilla was about 491 kilometers from a Mexican cape with sustained winds of 105km/h. It strengthened into a severe cyclone in the evening, when wind speeds reached at 75mph.

Although unlikely to hit the coast, Priscilla is likely to generate dangerous waves and rip currents as it tracks northwestward along the coast towards Baja California Sur. Heavy rainfall is forecast on the coming day, amounting to 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.

Elsewhere, Cyclone Shakhti has developed as the initial post-season storm system of 2025 in the Arabian Sea, prompting an warning from the national weather agency for an Indian state. On Sunday, the cyclone was 130 miles southeast of Ras al Hadd, Oman with maximum sustained winds of 103km/h.

The storm, which has moved in a southwestern direction and lost strength, is predicted to recurve towards the east into the the sea. Turbulent waters are expected to continue along the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and heavy rainfall is expected in shoreline areas including specific Indian cities.