Tropical storm Champi strengthens as it moves toward Guam under Typhoon watch

Tropical Storm Champi is reportedly gaining strength on Thursday as it moves toward Guam prompting a typhoon watch as authorities track the storm’s potential impact on the island.

Provisionally named the 30th storm of an unusually active 2026 Western Pacific typhoon season, Champi formed east of Micronesia and reached tropical storm strength today with winds of 35-40 mph.

According to forecasts, a rapid intensification is possible to Category 5 levels with its track shifting south toward Guam where tropical-force winds could arrive Saturday night and a typhoon warning and torrential rain are in effect for Sunday morning bringing 5-8-inches of rain.

This is still intensifying as it crosses Guam but then making Earth’s most powerful tropical cyclone of 2026 and that is something with ongoing El Nino.

Tropical Storm Champi has been named and will intensify into a typhoon before impacting the Mariana Islands this weekend. Furthermore, after passing close to Guam and becoming a super typhoon over the open Pacific and a strong landfall anywhere from China to Taiwan or southern Japan is possible.