Tropical Cyclone Matmo Hit Coastal China Causing Massive Relocations

The powerful storm made landfall on the coastal regions of China on the weekend, shortly after passage over the island province of Hainan. The intense weather led to the evacuation of approximately 350,000 people, bringing torrential rain and damaging winds, particularly between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Hainan's Wenchang. Boat transport were suspended and flights cancelled at the airport in Haikou.

Typhoon Statistics

The typhoon, the 21st typhoon of 2025, recorded wind speeds of 151km/h and dumped over 50mm of rainfall in six hours in Qinzhou and Chongzou. Urban areas of the region also received high rainfall totals.

Matmo prompted China's top-tier emergency warning, with disruptions in the city, where businesses, transport links and highways were shut. In the special administrative region, 100 flights were affected and dozens called off.

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 face 130-150mm on Monday, increasing the risk of flooding and landslides. The weather pattern is expected to move towards Yunnan province in China, where additional intense rain is likely.

Global Weather Events

Meanwhile, a hurricane named Priscilla developed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, initially as a storm system. It led to a storm watch for south-western regions from Punta San Telmo to another location on the start of the week.

In the morning of Sunday, Priscilla was about 491 kilometers from Cabo Corrientes with continuous gusts of 65mph. It intensified into a hurricane in the night, when sustained winds peaked at 75mph.

Although unlikely to hit the coast, the storm is likely to generate dangerous waves and rip currents as it moves northwestward along the coast towards Baja California Sur. Heavy rainfall is forecast on the coming day, reaching 100-150mm in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with local totals at about 200mm. Other regions could face moderate to heavy rain.

Elsewhere, Cyclone Shakhti has developed as the first post-monsoon cyclonic storm of the year in the Arabian Sea, causing an warning from the national weather agency for Maharashtra. On Sunday, Shakhti was 130 miles south-east of Ras al Hadd, Oman with maximum sustained winds of 64mph.

The storm, which has tracked in a southwestern direction and weakened, is predicted to recurve towards the east into the the sea. Turbulent waters are expected to continue along the coastal stretch and intense rain is anticipated in coastal districts including specific Indian cities.