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Typhoon Matmo struck the coast on the coastal regions of China on the weekend, following its passage over the provincial island of Hainan. The intense weather forced the evacuation of approximately 350,000 people, delivering heavy downpours and destructive gusts, especially between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Hainan's Wenchang. Boat transport were halted and air travel disrupted at the airport in Haikou.

Storm Details

The typhoon, this year's 21st typhoon of the year, recorded wind speeds of 94mph and poured more than 50mm of precipitation in a short period in Qinzhou and Chongzou. Urban areas of Nanning also experienced significant rain amounts.

Matmo prompted China's highest-level emergency warning, with disruptions in the city, where businesses, transport links and highways were shut. In Hong Kong, 100 flights were impacted and 30 cancelled.

Future Projections

As the typhoon moves inland towards the provincial area in Vietnam, it is projected to weaken into a tropical depression with 55mph winds but will persist to bring heavy rainfall. Vietnam's northern regions could face significant rainfall on Monday, raising the risk of inundation and landslides. The weather pattern is expected to move towards Yunnan province in China, where additional intense rain is probable.

Global Weather Events

At the same time, Hurricane Priscilla formed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, initially as a tropical storm. It prompted a storm watch for the southwestern areas from Punta San Telmo to another location on Monday.

In the early hours of the next day, the hurricane was about 491 kilometers from a Mexican cape with sustained winds of 65mph. It intensified into a hurricane in the night, when wind speeds peaked at 121km/h.

Although unlikely to hit the coast, Priscilla is expected to produce hazardous swells and strong currents as it moves northwestward along the coast towards a Mexican state. Substantial rain is predicted on Monday, amounting to 100-150mm in specific Mexican states, with some areas at about 20 centimeters. Other regions could receive moderate to heavy rain.

Elsewhere, Cyclone Shakhti has formed as the initial post-season storm system of 2025 in the a body of water, prompting an alert from the national weather agency for an Indian state. On Sunday, Shakhti was 209 kilometers southeast of Ras al Hadd, Oman with peak wind speeds of 64mph.

The storm, which has tracked in a southwestern direction and weakened, is predicted to recurve towards the east into the Arabian Sea. Turbulent waters are expected to continue along the coastal stretch and heavy rainfall is anticipated in shoreline areas including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.