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The powerful storm struck the coast on the southern shores of China on Sunday afternoon, shortly after sweeping across the island province of Hainan. The intense weather led to the evacuation of around 350,000 residents, bringing torrential rain and destructive gusts, particularly between Wuchuan in Guangdong and Hainan's Wenchang. Ferry services were halted and air travel disrupted at Haikou Meilan airport.

Storm Details

The typhoon, this year's 21st cyclone of 2025, had sustained wind speeds of 151km/h and dumped over 50mm of rainfall in a short period in Qinzhou and Chongzou. The city of Nanning also received high rainfall totals.

Matmo prompted China's highest-level emergency warning, with disruptions in Zhanjiang, where commercial activities, transport links and roads were shut. In the special administrative region, 100 flights were impacted and 30 cancelled.

Future Projections

As the typhoon advances inward 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 substantial precipitation. Northern Vietnam could face 130-150mm on Monday, raising the risk of flooding and landslides. The weather pattern is expected to move towards Yunnan province in China, where additional heavy rainfall is probable.

Global Weather Events

Meanwhile, Hurricane Priscilla developed off the Pacific shoreline of Mexico on Saturday night, initially as a storm system. It led to a storm watch for south-western regions from a coastal point to Punta Mita on Monday.

In the early hours of the next day, the hurricane was about 491 kilometers from Cabo Corrientes with continuous gusts of 105km/h. It intensified into a hurricane in the night, when sustained winds reached at 121km/h.

Though not expected to make landfall, Priscilla is likely to produce dangerous waves and rip currents as it tracks northwestward along the coast towards Baja California Sur. Substantial rain is predicted on the coming day, reaching a considerable volume in specific Mexican states, with some areas at about 20 centimeters. Colima and western Jalisco could face moderate to heavy rain.

Elsewhere, Cyclone Shakhti has developed as the initial post-season cyclonic storm of 2025 in the Arabian Sea, causing an warning from the India Meteorological Department for an Indian state. On that day, the cyclone was 209 kilometers southeast of a location in Oman with maximum sustained winds of 64mph.

The storm, which has tracked in a southwestern direction and lost strength, is predicted to turn towards the east into the Arabian Sea. Turbulent waters are likely to continue along the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and intense rain is expected in coastal districts including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.