Tropical Cyclone Matmo Slammed Coastal China Causing Widespread Relocations

The powerful storm made landfall on the coastal regions of China on Sunday afternoon, following its passage over the provincial island of Hainan. The severe weather forced the evacuation of approximately 350,000 people, bringing torrential rain and destructive gusts, especially between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Hainan's Wenchang. Boat transport were halted and flights cancelled at Haikou Meilan airport.

Storm Details

Matmo, the 21st typhoon of the year, had sustained wind speeds of 151km/h and poured more than 50mm of precipitation in a short period in Qinzhou and Chongzou. The city of the region also experienced high rainfall totals.

Matmo prompted China's highest-level red alert, with disruptions in Zhanjiang, where businesses, transportation systems and roads were shut. In the special administrative region, 100 flights were impacted and 30 cancelled.

Future Projections

As Matmo advances inward towards Cao Bang province in Vietnam, it is projected to diminish into a tropical depression with 89km/h winds but will continue to bring heavy rainfall. Northern Vietnam could experience 130-150mm on Monday, increasing the risk of inundation and mudslides. The system is expected to move towards Yunnan province in China, where additional intense rain is likely.

Other Storm Systems

Meanwhile, a hurricane named Priscilla developed off the Pacific shoreline of Mexico on Saturday night, first as a storm system. 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 105km/h. It intensified into a severe cyclone in the evening, when sustained winds peaked at 75mph.

Though not expected to hit the coast, the storm is likely to generate hazardous swells and rip currents as it tracks northwestward along the coast towards Baja California Sur. Heavy rainfall is predicted on Monday, amounting to a considerable volume in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with local totals at about 200mm. Colima and western Jalisco could face 50-100mm.

Elsewhere, a cyclone named Shakhti has developed as the first post-monsoon storm system of 2025 in the a body of water, prompting an alert from the India Meteorological Department for an Indian state. On that day, the cyclone was 209 kilometers southeast of a location in Oman with peak wind speeds of 103km/h.

The storm, which has moved in a southwestern direction and weakened, is predicted to recurve eastward into the the sea. Rough seas are likely to continue along the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and intense rain is anticipated in coastal districts including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.

Jennifer Massey
Jennifer Massey

Tech enthusiast and software developer with a passion for AI and open-source projects, sharing insights from years of industry experience.