3 Facts About Super Typhoon Bavi. One Of The Strongest Storms Of 2026
Super Typhoon Bavi has rapidly intensified to a powerful Category 5 storm over the weekend, marking the third such event of 2026. With sustained winds of 166 mph and gusts up to 200 mph, Bavi is tracking northwest towards Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Further strengthening is expected due to highly favorable ocean and atmospheric conditions, including high ocean heat and low wind shear. This powerful system follows Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which caused $1.5 billion in damage and 17 deaths in the region in April, and Tropical Cyclone Horacio in February. While the Atlantic hurricane season remains quiet, Bavi poses a significant threat to the Pacific islands.
Super Typhoon Bavi has rapidly intensified to a Category 5 storm over the weekend. The tropical cyclone has taken on classic features of a very strong typhoon. While the Atlantic hurricane season remains quiet, Bavi is the third Category 5 storm of 2026. At the time of writing Sunday morning, it is moving towards Guam and the northern Mariana Islands. Here are three things you need to know about Bavi right now.
Let’s start with the latest information from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center as of early Sunday morning. Bavi has sustained winds near 166 miles per hour with gusts of 200 miles per hour. Minimum central pressure was near 919 millibars. Some models are estimating that the storm could reach maximum winds between 175 and 184 miles per hour. The storm will continue to track northwestward near the island of Rota and likely just north of Guam.
"Satellite imagery (MSI) depicts an extremely powerful Super Typhoon steadily approaching the Mariana Islands," warned the JTWC. “The eye has cleared out, and gale-force winds now extend 170 nautical miles outward from the center,” they continued. Unfortunately atmospheric and ocean conditions are highly favorable for further intensification. What does that mean?" It means there is high ocean heat content, low vertical wind shear, sufficient moisture, and textbook outflow at the upper level of the storm. Forecast confidence is high for intensity and track over the next three days.
Bavi is already one of the strongest storms on Earth in 2026 and the third Category 5 tropical cyclone of the year so far. It is important to remember that tropical cyclones happen in other ocean basins, but we tend to be Atlantic basin-centric in the U.S. Super Typhoon Sinlaku tracked just southeast of Guam with 185 mph winds in mid-April. “Sinkalu killed 17 and did about $1.5 billion in damage to the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam,” wrote Jeff Masters in Yale Climate Connections. Tropical Cyclone Horacio featured 160 mph winds over the southern Indian Ocean in February but never made landfall in a major area.
Bavi is already one of the strongest storms on Earth in 2026 and the third Category 5 tropical cyclone of the year so far. What were the other two Dr. Shepherd since the Atlantic has been quiet? It is important to remember that tropical cyclones happen in other ocean basins. Super Typhoon Sinlaku tracked just southeast of Guam with 185 mph winds in mid-April. “Sinkalu killed 17 and did about $1.5 billion in damage to the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam,” wrote Jeff Masters in Yale Climate Connections. Tropical Cyclone Horacio featured 160 mph winds over the southern Indian Ocean in February in February but never made landfall in a major area.