Super typhoon Sinlaku hits Category 5, marking second earliest strongest storm on record

Tropical Cyclone Sinlaku has surged in its strength over the warm Pacific waters southeast of Guam in a rare occurrence early Sunday, emerging as one of the year's strongest super typhoons so far.

Reported by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the Super Typhoon Sinlaku turned into the world's second Category 5 tropical cyclone of 2026 with forecasted winds up to 200 mph,

According to data from the University of Wisconsin CIMSS, the storm actually exceeded its Maximum Potential Intensity (MPI), the theoretical limit a cyclone can reach based on current environmental conditions, which was estimated to be 175 mph (280 km/hr).

In coming days, the storm is likely to intensify as it approaches the roughly 210-square-mile island of Guam, posing life-threatening risks to U.S. territory, especially Northern Mariana Islands on Monday and Tuesday.

An advisory from the Guam Homeland Security Office of Civil Defense issued a statement, “While it is still early to determine the exact proximity to Guam, the impacts will still be felt farther from the center as the large wind field envelops much of the Mariana Islands. With that said, there remains a significant threat of a powerful typhoon passing very close to Guam.”

Sinlaku’s projected path puts it in a dangerous category; if it maintains its current strength, it will be only the sixth storm of major hurricane intensity to ever strike the island.

This follows the devastation caused by Typhoon Mawar in 2023, which hit north of Guam as a Category 4 equivalent, the most powerful system to affect the area in two decades.

The timing of Sinlaku is unprecedented. Historically, no tropical cyclone has ever made landfall on Guam during April. Now, Sinlaku is set to become the first April landfall in recorded history.

Risks posed by Super Typhoon Sinlaku

According to AccuWeather International Meteorologist Tyler Roys, “This storm is a serious threat to the island of Guam. Sinlaku will produce destructive winds and flooding rainfall, likely leading to power outages and structural damage.”

“Flash flooding could become a major issue on Guam because Sinlaku may deliver heavy rain in a short time, and saturated ground can also raise the risk of mudslides,” he warned.