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Typhoon Matmo struck the coast on the southern shores of China on Sunday afternoon, shortly after sweeping across the provincial island of Hainan. The severe weather led to the relocation of approximately 350,000 people, delivering torrential rain and damaging winds, especially between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Hainan's Wenchang. Boat transport were halted and flights cancelled at the airport in Haikou.

Storm Details

The typhoon, the 21st typhoon of the year, had sustained wind speeds of 94mph and dumped more than 50mm of precipitation in a short period in Qinzhou and Chongzou. The city of Nanning also experienced significant rain amounts.

The storm prompted China's highest-level emergency warning, with disturbances in the city, where commercial activities, transportation systems and highways were shut. In Hong Kong, 100 flights were impacted and 30 cancelled.

Future Projections

As the typhoon advances inward towards Cao Bang province in Vietnam, it is expected to diminish into a less intense system with 89km/h winds but will continue to bring substantial precipitation. Vietnam's northern regions could face significant rainfall on the following day, increasing the threat of inundation and landslides. The system is anticipated to move towards Yunnan province in China, where further intense rain is likely.

Global Weather Events

Meanwhile, a hurricane named Priscilla formed off the Pacific shoreline of Mexico on Saturday night, first as a storm system. It prompted a storm watch for the southwestern areas from a coastal point to Punta Mita on the start of the week.

In the early hours of the next day, the hurricane was about 491 kilometers from Cabo Corrientes with sustained winds of 105km/h. It strengthened into a severe cyclone in the night, when wind speeds reached at 75mph.

Although unlikely to hit the coast, the storm is likely to produce dangerous waves and rip currents as it tracks northwestward along the coast towards a Mexican state. Substantial rain is forecast on Monday, amounting to a considerable volume in specific Mexican states, 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 alert from the national weather agency for Maharashtra. On that day, Shakhti was 130 miles southeast of Ras al Hadd, Oman with maximum sustained winds of 103km/h.

The storm, which has moved south-westward and lost strength, is forecast to recurve eastward into the the sea. Rough seas are likely to persist along the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and heavy rainfall is expected in shoreline areas including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.