Southwest vortex is one of the main rainfall weather systems in China. The research on southwest vortex can be traced back to about forty years in the twentieth century. First, the review of southwest vortex research on its activities, structures, mechanisms of forming, maintaining and eastwards moving has been presented in the last half century. Then, in order to deepen the research on the southwest vortex and to heighten the understanding of weather systems such as southwest vortex, there are some deficiencies to be pointed out, such as the understanding of southwest vortex cloud system and radar echo characteristics, the effects of systems at different scales on southwest vortex forming and developing, the impact of atmospheric boundary layer on the vortex forming and developing, the study on abnormity mechanics of southwest vortex activities and so on.