🔗 Share this article

Typhoon Matmo made landfall on the coastal regions of China on the weekend, following its passage over the provincial island of Hainan. The severe weather forced the relocation of approximately 350,000 people, delivering torrential rain and destructive gusts, particularly between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Hainan's Wenchang. Ferry services were suspended and air travel disrupted at the airport in Haikou.

Storm Details

Matmo, this year's 21st cyclone of 2025, had sustained wind speeds of 94mph and poured over 50mm of precipitation in six hours in Qinzhou and Chongzou. The city of the region also experienced high rainfall totals.

Matmo triggered China's top-tier red alert, with disruptions in the city, where commercial activities, transportation systems and roads were closed. 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 expected to weaken into a tropical depression with 89km/h winds but will persist to bring heavy rainfall. Vietnam's northern regions could experience 130-150mm on the following day, raising the risk of flooding and landslides. The weather pattern is anticipated to move towards Yunnan region in China, where further intense rain is probable.

Global Weather Events

At the same time, a hurricane named Priscilla developed off the Pacific shoreline of Mexico on Saturday night, first as a storm system. It led to a weather alert for the southwestern areas from a coastal point to Punta Mita on Monday.

In the morning of the next day, Priscilla was about 491 kilometers from Cabo Corrientes with sustained winds of 105km/h. It intensified into a severe cyclone in the night, when sustained winds reached at 121km/h.

Although unlikely to make landfall, Priscilla is expected to generate dangerous waves and rip currents as it moves north-west along the coast towards a Mexican state. Substantial rain is forecast on Monday, reaching a considerable volume in specific Mexican states, with some areas at about 200mm. Other regions could receive 50-100mm.

Elsewhere, Cyclone Shakhti has formed as the first post-monsoon cyclonic storm of 2025 in the Arabian Sea, causing an warning from the national weather agency for Maharashtra. On Sunday, Shakhti was 209 kilometers south-east of a location in Oman with maximum sustained winds of 103km/h.

Shakhti, which has tracked south-westward and lost strength, is forecast to recurve towards the east into the Arabian Sea. Rough seas are likely to persist along the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and intense rain is expected in coastal districts including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.