Projected ‘super typhoon’ barrels towards U.S. Pacific islands

This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Typhoon Bavi east of the U.S. Pacific island territory of Guam on Friday, July 3, 2026.

| Photo Credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP

Residents of Guam and the Northern Marianas boarded up windows and stocked up on provisions on Friday (July 3, 2026) as a monster weather system forecast to become a "super typhoon" barrelled towards the U.S. Pacific territories.

As of 03:00 GMT Friday, Typhoon Bavi was moving between the Marshall Islands and the Northern Marianas, with sustained winds of 167 kilometres per hour (104 miles per hour) and gusts of 203 kph, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC).

"Current forecast tracks continue to indicate a grim outlook for the Marianas," the U.S. National Weather Service said.

"All residents across Guam and the [Northern Mariana Islands] should plan for and anticipate at least tropical storm conditions."

Moving west, by Saturday (July 4) morning it was projected to have reached super typhoon status with sustained winds of 240 kph, increasing 24 hours later to 278 kph, the JTWC said, equivalent to a category five hurricane.

In the western North Pacific, a super typhoon is a tropical cyclone of 240 kph or greater, according to the JTWC.

Weakening slightly, it was forecast to hit Guam and the Northern Marianas -still recovering from Super Typhoon Sinlaku in April - on Monday morning.

Published - July 03, 2026 12:44 pm IST