Category 5 Storm Strikes US Pacific Territories
Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall on the island of Rota with wind speeds of 180 mph, battering Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands with catastrophic force.8 The US National Weather Service warned of "catastrophic" damage, with waves potentially reaching nearly 35 feet high.8 Widespread damage was reported across the islands, particularly on Rota.1
Bavi's eye moved over Rota at around 9 a.m. local time Monday at Category 5 intensity.1 Gusts of 106 mph were recorded at Saipan International Airport, and 100 mph at Guam International Airport.1 The storm also set a daily rainfall record at Guam International Airport, dropping 12.31 inches.1
Extreme Wind and Flooding Threat
At peak strength, Bavi packed sustained winds of 178 mph and a central pressure of 910 mb.3 Its eye measured about 25 nautical miles in diameter — a wide, well-defined structure visible from satellite imagery.3 Hurricane-force winds extended up to 58 miles north of the storm's center.3
Typhoon warnings were issued for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan, with forecasts of destructive winds, life-threatening coastal inundation, and widespread flash flooding.6 The islands faced the threat of major flooding from rain on top of the 12 to 18 inches already fallen in parts of Guam.1 Officials reported receiving reports of "major damages" on the Northern Mariana Islands.8
A Rapidly Intensifying System
Bavi first became a tropical storm the previous Wednesday, then strengthened into a typhoon just two days later.1 It reached Category 5 equivalent status, becoming the third such storm of 2026.3 Very warm ocean water allowed the storm to maintain its extreme strength as it crept westward.4
At one point, Bavi packed winds of 175 mph with gusts exceeding 200 mph as it moved through the Mariana Islands.4 The storm is the second typhoon to impact the islands in just a few months.4 An earlier super typhoon had struck the region in April.8
Storm Track Toward Taiwan and China
After battering the Marianas, Bavi continued west-northwest at 10 to 15 mph, centered roughly 100 miles northwest of Guam.2 The storm still carried winds around 165 mph even as it headed into open water.2 Its forecast track pointed toward far southwest Japan's Sakishima Islands by Friday, then near parts of Taiwan by Saturday.2
Tropical storm-force winds from Bavi extended up to 230 miles to the north and about 180 miles to the south of the center.3 The storm's reach across the western Pacific raised concerns far beyond the immediate impact zone. Check the forecast for your city at PrestoWeather to stay ahead of any developing threats heading your way.