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Typhoon Matmo struck the coast on the southern shores of China on the weekend, following its sweeping across the provincial island of Hainan. The intense weather led to the evacuation of around 350,000 people, bringing torrential rain and damaging winds, especially between Guangdong's Wuchuan and Hainan's Wenchang. Ferry services were suspended and air travel disrupted at Haikou Meilan airport.

Storm Details

The typhoon, the 21st typhoon of the year, had sustained wind speeds of 94mph and poured more than 50mm of precipitation in six hours in Qinzhou and Chongzou. The city of Nanning also received significant rain amounts.

Matmo prompted China's top-tier emergency warning, with disturbances in the city, where commercial activities, transportation systems and highways were shut. In Hong Kong, 100 flights were affected and dozens called off.

Future Projections

As the typhoon moves inland towards the provincial area in the neighboring country, it is expected to diminish into a less intense system with 89km/h winds but will persist to bring heavy rainfall. Northern Vietnam could face 130-150mm on the following day, increasing the threat of flooding and mudslides. The weather pattern is expected to move towards Yunnan region in China, where further heavy rainfall is probable.

Other Storm Systems

At the same time, a hurricane named Priscilla formed off Mexico's Pacific coast on the weekend, initially as a tropical storm. It prompted a weather alert for the southwestern areas from Punta San Telmo to Punta Mita on the start of the week.

In the morning of the next day, the hurricane was about 305 miles from a Mexican cape with sustained winds of 105km/h. It strengthened into a hurricane in the evening, when wind speeds reached at 121km/h.

Though not expected to hit the coast, the storm is expected to produce hazardous swells and strong currents as it moves northwestward along the coast towards a Mexican state. Heavy rainfall is forecast on the coming day, reaching 100-150mm in specific Mexican states, with some areas at about 20 centimeters. Other regions could receive moderate to heavy rain.

Elsewhere, Cyclone Shakhti has developed as the initial post-season cyclonic storm of the year in the a body of water, causing an warning from the India Meteorological Department for an Indian state. On Sunday, Shakhti was 209 kilometers southeast of a location in Oman with peak wind speeds of 103km/h.

Shakhti, which has tracked south-westward and weakened, is predicted to recurve eastward into the the sea. Rough seas are likely to persist along the Gujarat-North Maharashtra coast and heavy rainfall is anticipated in shoreline areas including Dwarka, Jamnagar and Surat.