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Typhoon Matmo made landfall on the coastal regions of China on the weekend, shortly after passage over the provincial island of Hainan. The severe weather led to the relocation of approximately 350,000 people, bringing heavy downpours and destructive gusts, particularly between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Hainan's Wenchang. Boat transport were halted and flights cancelled at Haikou Meilan airport.

Typhoon Statistics

The typhoon, the 21st typhoon of the year, recorded wind speeds of 151km/h and poured over 50mm of rainfall in six hours in Qinzhou and Chongzou. Urban areas of Nanning also experienced significant rain amounts.

Matmo triggered China's top-tier red alert, with disturbances 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 advances inward towards Cao Bang province in Vietnam, it is projected to weaken into a less intense system with 89km/h winds but will persist to bring substantial precipitation. Vietnam's northern regions could experience significant rainfall on the following day, increasing the risk of inundation and landslides. The weather pattern is anticipated to move towards Yunnan province in China, where further heavy rainfall is likely.

Other Storm Systems

At the same time, Hurricane 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 the next day, the hurricane was about 305 miles from Cabo Corrientes with continuous gusts of 105km/h. It intensified into a severe cyclone in the evening, when wind speeds reached at 121km/h.

Though not expected to make landfall, Priscilla is expected to produce hazardous swells and rip currents as it moves northwestward along the coast towards a Mexican state. Heavy rainfall is forecast on Monday, reaching a considerable volume in Michoacán and western Guerrero, with some areas at about 20 centimeters. Colima and western Jalisco could face moderate to heavy rain.

In other parts, a cyclone named Shakhti has developed as the first post-monsoon storm system of the year in the Arabian Sea, causing an alert from the India Meteorological Department for Maharashtra. On Sunday, Shakhti was 209 kilometers southeast of a location in Oman with peak wind speeds of 64mph.

The storm, which has moved in a southwestern direction and weakened, is predicted to recurve eastward into the Arabian Sea. Rough seas are expected to continue along the coastal stretch and heavy rainfall is expected in coastal districts including specific Indian cities.