Tropical Cyclone Matmo Slammed Coastal China Bringing Widespread Relocations

The powerful storm made landfall on the southern shores of China on the weekend, following its sweeping across the island province of Hainan. The severe weather led to the relocation of around 350,000 residents, delivering torrential rain and damaging winds, particularly between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Hainan's Wenchang. Boat transport were suspended and air travel disrupted at Haikou Meilan airport.

Storm Details

Matmo, this year's 21st cyclone of the year, had sustained wind speeds of 151km/h and dumped more than 50mm of precipitation in a short period in Chongzou and Qinzhou. Urban areas of the region also received significant rain amounts.

Matmo prompted China's top-tier emergency warning, with disruptions in the city, where businesses, transport links and roads were shut. In the special administrative region, 100 flights were affected and 30 cancelled.

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 continue to bring heavy rainfall. Northern Vietnam could experience significant rainfall on the following day, increasing the threat of inundation and landslides. 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, Hurricane Priscilla formed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, initially as a tropical storm. It prompted a weather alert for the southwestern areas from Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita on Monday.

In the early hours of the next day, the hurricane was about 305 miles from Cabo Corrientes with sustained winds of 105km/h. It intensified into a severe cyclone in the night, when wind speeds peaked at 121km/h.

Though not expected to make landfall, the storm is likely to generate dangerous waves and rip currents as it moves northwestward along the coast towards a Mexican state. Substantial rain is predicted on Monday, reaching a considerable volume in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with some areas at about 20 centimeters. Other regions could receive moderate to heavy rain.

Elsewhere, Cyclone Shakhti has developed as the initial post-season cyclonic storm of 2025 in the a body of water, prompting an alert from the national weather agency for Maharashtra. On that day, Shakhti was 209 kilometers southeast of a location in Oman with maximum sustained winds of 103km/h.

Shakhti, which has moved in a southwestern direction and weakened, is predicted to recurve towards the east into the the sea. Rough seas are likely to continue along the coastal stretch and intense rain is expected in shoreline areas including specific Indian cities.