Typhoon Matmo Hit Coastal China Bringing Widespread Relocations
Typhoon Matmo made landfall on the southern shores of China on the weekend, shortly after passage over the island province of Hainan. The intense weather led to the relocation of around 350,000 people, bringing heavy downpours and destructive gusts, particularly between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Wenchang in Hainan. Boat transport were suspended and air travel disrupted at the airport in Haikou.
Typhoon Statistics
The typhoon, this year's 21st typhoon of the year, had sustained wind speeds of 94mph and dumped over 50mm of precipitation in six hours in Chongzou and Qinzhou. Urban areas of the region also received high rainfall totals.
Matmo triggered China's top-tier red alert, with disturbances in Zhanjiang, where commercial activities, transportation systems and roads were closed. In the special administrative region, numerous air services were affected and 30 cancelled.
Future Projections
As Matmo moves inland towards the provincial area in Vietnam, it is projected to diminish into a tropical depression with 55mph winds but will persist to bring substantial precipitation. Vietnam's northern regions could face significant rainfall on Monday, raising the threat of inundation and mudslides. The weather pattern is expected to move towards Yunnan province in China, where additional heavy rainfall is likely.
Other Storm Systems
At the same time, a hurricane named Priscilla developed off Mexico's Pacific coast on Saturday night, initially as a tropical storm. It led to a storm watch for the southwestern areas from Punta San Telmo to another location on Monday.
In the early hours of the next day, Priscilla was about 305 miles from Cabo Corrientes with sustained winds of 65mph. It intensified into a hurricane in the evening, when wind speeds reached at 75mph.
Although unlikely to make landfall, the storm is expected to generate dangerous waves and rip currents as it moves northwestward along the coast towards a Mexican state. Heavy rainfall is predicted on the coming day, reaching a considerable volume in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with some areas at about 200mm. Colima and western Jalisco could face moderate to heavy rain.
Elsewhere, a cyclone named Shakhti has developed as the first post-monsoon cyclonic storm of 2025 in the a body of water, prompting an warning from the India Meteorological Department for Maharashtra. On Sunday, Shakhti was 209 kilometers south-east of Ras al Hadd, Oman with peak wind speeds of 103km/h.
The storm, which has moved south-westward and weakened, is predicted to turn eastward into the the sea. Turbulent waters are likely to continue along the coastal stretch and heavy rainfall is expected in shoreline areas including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.
