U.S. Northern Marianas threatened by second super typhoon in 2026

Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands are being threatened by a super typhoon for the second time this year.

Super Typhoon Bavi, packing top winds of 167 miles per hour, was bearing down on Tinian and Rota and threatening Guam in the U.S. Commonwealth Sunday, according to the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center. The storm, a Category 5 on the five-step, Saffir-Simpson scale, was expected to grow even stronger before reaching the islands in the next few hours.

“Nearly all of the guidance takes the storm center between Tinian and Rota,” the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. “Given recent trends and the optimal environment, a higher peak than forecast is well within the realm of possibility.”

Residents on Tinian and Rota have been told to shelter in sturdy buildings until after Bavi has passed, according to a Facebook post from Gov. David Apatang and Lieutenant Governor Dennis James Mendiola. President Donald Trump approved an emergency disaster declaration for the commonwealth Friday.

After Bavi sweeps through the Northern Marianas, it is forecast to continue moving west and may threaten Taiwan by next weekend with winds of at least 127 mph, making it a Category 3 storm on the U.S. scale.

In April, Super Typhoon Sinlaku tore through Saipan and the other islands in the chain, knocking out power and forcing residents to boil drinking water.