🔗 Share this article Tropical Cyclone Matmo Struck Southern China Causing Massive Evacuations The powerful storm struck the coast on the southern shores of China on Sunday afternoon, following its passage over the island province of Hainan. The intense weather forced the evacuation of around 350,000 residents, delivering heavy downpours and damaging winds, particularly between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Hainan's Wenchang. Ferry services were suspended and flights cancelled at Haikou Meilan airport. Storm Details The typhoon, this year's 21st cyclone of 2025, had sustained wind speeds of 94mph and poured more than 50mm of precipitation in six hours in Qinzhou and Chongzou. Urban areas of Nanning also received high rainfall totals. The storm prompted China's highest-level emergency warning, with disruptions in Zhanjiang, where businesses, transport links and highways were shut. In the special administrative region, numerous air services were impacted and 30 cancelled. Forecast and Movement As the typhoon advances inward towards Cao Bang province in the neighboring country, it is expected to diminish into a tropical depression with 55mph winds but will persist to bring substantial precipitation. Vietnam's northern regions could face significant rainfall on the following day, increasing the threat of flooding and landslides. The system is anticipated to move towards Yunnan province in China, where additional heavy rainfall is likely. Other Storm Systems At the same time, a hurricane named Priscilla developed off the Pacific shoreline of Mexico on Saturday night, first as a tropical storm. It led to a storm watch for south-western regions from Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita on Monday. In the morning of the next day, Priscilla was about 305 miles from a Mexican cape with continuous gusts of 105km/h. It intensified into a severe cyclone in the evening, when wind speeds reached at 75mph. Although unlikely to make landfall, Priscilla is likely to produce dangerous waves and rip currents as it tracks northwestward along the coast towards Baja California Sur. Heavy rainfall is forecast on Monday, amounting to a considerable volume in specific Mexican states, with local totals at about 20 centimeters. Colima and western Jalisco could receive 50-100mm. Elsewhere, Cyclone Shakhti has developed as the first post-monsoon storm system of 2025 in the a body of water, prompting an alert from the national weather agency for Maharashtra. On that day, Shakhti was 130 miles southeast of a location in Oman with peak wind speeds of 103km/h. Shakhti, which has moved south-westward and weakened, is forecast to recurve eastward into the Arabian Sea. Turbulent waters are likely to continue along the coastal stretch and intense rain is anticipated in shoreline areas including specific Indian cities.