Published on Jul. 4, 2026, 7:42 PM
Bavi is the equivalent of a Category 5 storm as it moves toward the Northern Mariana Islands this weekend
Super Typhoon Bavi remains the strongest storm on Earth this weekend as it churns through the western Pacific Ocean.
Residents of several islands are on high alert as the intense typhoon approaches the region with destructive winds, flooding rain, and a dangerous storm surge.
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Bavi rapidly intensified into the equivalent of a scale-topping Category 5 storm on Friday, making it the western Pacific’s second super typhoon of 2026.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported on Saturday afternoon that Super Typhoon Bavi packed maximum sustained winds of 260 km/h and a minimum central pressure of 919 mb.
Bavi’s intensity may fluctuate over the next day as it undergoes eyewall replacement cycles, but “the environment continues to be highly favorable for maintaining a high-end storm,” according to the JTWC.
The Northern Mariana Islands and Guam will feel the effects of the storm by the end of the weekend. These territories of the United States are collectively home to more than 200,000 people.