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The powerful storm made landfall on the southern shores of China on Sunday afternoon, following its sweeping across the island province of Hainan. The intense weather led to the evacuation of around 350,000 people, bringing heavy downpours and damaging winds, particularly between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Wenchang in Hainan. Boat transport were halted and flights cancelled at the airport in Haikou.

Typhoon Statistics

Matmo, the 21st typhoon of the year, recorded wind speeds of 94mph and poured more than 50mm of precipitation in a short period in Chongzou and Qinzhou. Urban areas of the region also experienced significant rain amounts.

The storm prompted China's top-tier red alert, with disruptions in the city, where commercial activities, transport links and roads were closed. In the special administrative region, numerous air services were affected and 30 cancelled.

Future Projections

As Matmo moves inland towards the provincial area in Vietnam, it is expected to weaken into a tropical depression with 89km/h winds but will persist to bring substantial precipitation. Northern Vietnam could face 130-150mm on Monday, raising the threat of flooding and mudslides. The system is expected to move towards Yunnan region in China, where further heavy rainfall is probable.

Global Weather Events

At the same time, a hurricane named Priscilla formed off Mexico's Pacific coast on Saturday night, first as a tropical storm. It led to a weather alert for the southwestern areas from Punta San Telmo to another location on Monday.

In the early hours of Sunday, Priscilla was about 305 miles from Cabo Corrientes with sustained winds of 65mph. It intensified into a severe cyclone in the evening, when sustained winds peaked at 121km/h.

Although unlikely to hit the coast, the storm is likely to produce hazardous swells and rip currents as it moves northwestward along the coast towards a Mexican state. Substantial rain is forecast on Monday, amounting to 100-150mm in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with some areas at about 20 centimeters. Colima and western Jalisco could face 50-100mm.

In other parts, Cyclone Shakhti has formed as the first post-monsoon storm system of the year in the Arabian Sea, prompting an warning from the national weather agency for an Indian state. On that day, Shakhti was 209 kilometers southeast of Ras al Hadd, Oman with peak wind speeds of 103km/h.

The storm, which has moved in a southwestern direction and weakened, is predicted to recurve towards the east into the the sea. Rough seas are expected to persist along the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and heavy rainfall is expected in coastal districts including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.