Super Typhoon Champi is chasing the strongest storm on Earth
The powerful storm raked Guam with destructive winds over the weekend
Typhoon Champi has an opportunity to grow into the world’s strongest tropical cyclone of 2026.
The system in the western Pacific Ocean is already a powerhouse with 240 km/h winds, the equivalent of a high-end Category 4 storm.
Further intensification is expected over the next 24 to 48 hours, and Champi will soon become the world’s seventh Category 5 storm of the year.
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Typhoon Champi rapidly intensified as it approached the tiny Pacific island of Guam this weekend, threatening the U.S. territory with destructive winds and flash flooding. Its maximum sustained winds doubled from 110 km/h to 220 km/h in just 24 hours.
The system is in a highly favourable environment for strengthening, and forecasters now expect Champi to achieve the equivalent of a Category 5 storm within the next 24 hours.
If the current predictions come to pass, this typhoon would be the world’s seventh Category 5 storm so far in 2026.
All of those scale-topping storms have formed over the Pacific Ocean so far: three in the western Pacific (Sinlaku, Bavi, and Dolphin), and three in the eastern Pacific (Genevieve, Lowell, and Polo).
Hurricane Polo currently holds the title for world’s strongest tropical cyclone in 2026. The storm peaked with maximum sustained winds of 285 km/h and a minimum central pressure of 892 mb. Such a low air pressure made Polo the second-most intense hurricane on record in the eastern Pacific.
Could Champi dethrone Polo over the next couple of days? It’s possible.
Sea surface temperatures in this section of the western Pacific are running around 30°C, which is slightly warmer than normal for this time of year. The environment around the typhoon features deep moisture, calm winds, and enough upper-level support to vent air away from the storm.
The typhoon also had a very healthy structure on radar as it passed Guam early Sunday morning local time.
All of these ingredients, plus the storm’s own internal organization, are critical for a tropical cyclone to maintain its composure and continue strengthening.