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Typhoon Matmo struck the coast on the coastal regions of China on Sunday afternoon, shortly after sweeping across the island province of Hainan. The intense weather led to the evacuation of approximately 350,000 people, bringing heavy downpours and damaging winds, especially between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Wenchang in Hainan. Ferry services were halted and air travel disrupted at Haikou Meilan airport.

Typhoon Statistics

The typhoon, this year's 21st cyclone of the year, had sustained wind speeds of 94mph and dumped more than 50mm of rainfall in six hours in Chongzou and Qinzhou. The city 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 closed. In the special administrative region, 100 flights were affected and 30 cancelled.

Forecast and Movement

As Matmo moves inland towards Cao Bang province in Vietnam, it is expected to diminish into a less intense system with 55mph winds but will continue to bring heavy rainfall. Vietnam's northern regions could face significant rainfall on the following day, increasing the risk of inundation and landslides. The system is anticipated to move towards Yunnan province in China, where further intense rain is likely.

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 storm watch for the southwestern areas from a coastal point to Punta Mita on Monday.

In the early hours of Sunday, Priscilla was about 491 kilometers from Cabo Corrientes with sustained winds of 65mph. It intensified into a hurricane in the evening, when sustained winds peaked at 75mph.

Although unlikely to make landfall, Priscilla is likely to generate hazardous swells and rip currents as it moves north-west along the coast towards a Mexican state. Heavy rainfall is predicted on Monday, amounting to a considerable volume in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with local totals at about 20 centimeters. Colima and western Jalisco could receive moderate to heavy rain.

In other parts, a cyclone named Shakhti has formed as the first post-monsoon cyclonic storm of 2025 in the Arabian Sea, causing an warning from the India Meteorological Department for Maharashtra. On Sunday, Shakhti was 130 miles southeast of a location in Oman with maximum sustained winds of 64mph.

The storm, which has tracked south-westward and lost strength, is predicted to recurve eastward into the Arabian Sea. Rough seas are likely to persist along the coastal stretch and heavy rainfall is expected in coastal districts including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.