Tropical Cyclone Matmo Struck Southern China Causing Massive Evacuations

The powerful storm struck the coast on the coastal regions of China on Sunday afternoon, following its passage over the island province of Hainan. The severe weather led to the relocation of around 350,000 people, bringing torrential rain and destructive gusts, particularly between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Wenchang in Hainan. Ferry services were suspended and flights cancelled at Haikou Meilan airport.

Storm Details

Matmo, the 21st cyclone of 2025, had sustained wind speeds of 151km/h and dumped more than 50mm of rainfall in six hours in Chongzou and Qinzhou. Urban areas of Nanning also experienced high rainfall totals.

Matmo triggered China's top-tier emergency warning, with disturbances in the city, where commercial activities, transportation systems and roads were shut. In Hong Kong, numerous air services were impacted and 30 cancelled.

Future Projections

As Matmo moves inland towards Cao Bang province in the neighboring country, it is projected to weaken into a tropical depression with 89km/h winds but will continue to bring heavy rainfall. Vietnam's northern regions could face 130-150mm on the following day, raising the risk of flooding and landslides. The system is anticipated to move towards Yunnan region in China, where further intense rain is probable.

Other Storm Systems

Meanwhile, Hurricane Priscilla developed off the Pacific shoreline of Mexico on Saturday night, initially as a storm system. It prompted a weather alert for south-western regions from Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita on Monday.

In the early hours of Sunday, the hurricane was about 491 kilometers from a Mexican cape with continuous gusts of 105km/h. It intensified into a hurricane in the night, when wind speeds reached at 121km/h.

Though not expected to make landfall, the storm is likely to generate dangerous waves and rip currents as it moves north-west along the coast towards a Mexican state. Substantial rain is predicted on the coming day, amounting to a considerable volume in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with some areas at about 200mm. Colima and western Jalisco could face moderate to heavy rain.

In other parts, Cyclone Shakhti has developed as the initial post-season cyclonic storm of the year in the a body of water, causing an alert from the national weather agency for Maharashtra. On that day, Shakhti was 130 miles southeast of a location in Oman with maximum sustained winds of 103km/h.

Shakhti, which has tracked south-westward and lost strength, is forecast to turn eastward into the the sea. Rough seas are likely to continue along the coastal stretch and intense rain is anticipated in coastal districts including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.

Wendy Guerra
Wendy Guerra

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