Tropical Cyclone Matmo Struck Southern China Bringing Massive Evacuations
The powerful storm made landfall on the southern shores of China on Sunday afternoon, following its sweeping across the provincial island of Hainan. The severe weather forced the relocation of approximately 350,000 residents, bringing torrential rain and destructive gusts, especially between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Wenchang in Hainan. Boat transport were suspended and flights cancelled at the airport in Haikou.
Typhoon Statistics
Matmo, the 21st typhoon of the year, had sustained wind speeds of 94mph and dumped more than 50mm of rainfall in a short period in Chongzou and Qinzhou. The city of the region also experienced high rainfall totals.
Matmo prompted China's top-tier emergency warning, with disruptions in the city, where commercial activities, transport links and highways were shut. In the special administrative region, numerous air services were impacted and 30 cancelled.
Future Projections
As Matmo moves inland towards the provincial area in Vietnam, it is projected to weaken into a tropical depression with 89km/h winds but will persist to bring heavy rainfall. Northern Vietnam could face significant rainfall on Monday, increasing the threat of flooding and landslides. The system is expected to move towards Yunnan province in China, where additional intense rain is likely.
Other Storm Systems
Meanwhile, Hurricane Priscilla developed off the Pacific shoreline of Mexico on the weekend, first as a tropical storm. It led to a weather alert for the southwestern areas from a coastal point to another location on the start of the week.
In the early hours of the next day, the hurricane was about 305 miles from Cabo Corrientes with continuous gusts of 105km/h. It strengthened into a severe cyclone in the night, when wind speeds reached at 121km/h.
Though not expected to hit the coast, Priscilla is likely to generate dangerous waves and rip currents as it tracks north-west along the coast towards a Mexican state. Heavy rainfall is predicted on Monday, reaching a considerable volume in specific Mexican states, with local totals at about 20 centimeters. Other regions could receive 50-100mm.
In other parts, a cyclone named Shakhti has formed as the first post-monsoon cyclonic storm of 2025 in the a body of water, causing 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 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 the sea. Turbulent waters are expected to persist along the coastal stretch and heavy rainfall is anticipated in coastal districts including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.
