Super Typhoon Sinlaku
Typhoon Sinlaku was downgraded from a super typhoon early Wednesday local time as it battered the Northern Mariana Islands, according to the latest advisory from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Guam.
The center of the powerful storm was pulling away from Tinian and Saipan, moving northwest at 5 mph. Forecasters said it is expected to pass just west of the islands of Almagan, Pagan and Agrihan in the latter half of the week.
As of the latest advisory, maximum sustained winds had decreased to 145 mph, with typhoon-force winds extending up to 75 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extending outward up to 265 miles.
The Weather Channel reported that Sinlaku is the strongest tropical cyclone so far in 2026, rapidly strengthening from a Category 1 storm to a peak intensity of 185 mph maximum sustained winds.
The slow-moving storm lashed Guam and the Northern Marianas with fierce winds and torrential rain, with forecasts calling for up to 15 to 20 inches of precipitation for Tinian and Saipan and 6 to 12 inches for Rota, according to NWS.
Flash flood warnings were in effect across the remote U.S. islands, with an estimated storm surge of at least 5-8 feet above ground level expected in the Northern Marianas. NWS said wind-and-wave-driven surf could result in even higher storm surge along windward-facing beaches and reefs.
Saipan Mayor Ramon "RB" Jose Blas Camacho told the The Associated Press late Tuesday that Sinlaku was "hitting us hard."
"It's so difficult for us to respond with this heavy rain, heavy wind to rescue people. Objects are just flying left and right," he said.
The NWS in Guam also issued an extreme wind warning for Saipan and Tinian until 5 a.m. ChST, or 3 p.m. EDT, amid typhoon-force winds.
"Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior room or shelter NOW!" the agency warned.
The Northern Mariana Islands are home to roughly 47,329 people, according to 2020 U.S. Census estimates. The population of Guam was approximately 153,836 in 2020.
A meteorologist with the weather service said during a Facebook video broadcast that Tuesday into Wednesday would "not be an easy night for anyone across Tinian or Saipan," according to the AP.
Many "will wake up to a different island," he reportedly said.
Officials on Guam said sustained winds of 40 to 60 mph, with higher gusts, were forecast to continue through Wednesday morning local time, before gradually subsiding through the afternoon.
"Such winds will continue to pose risk to public safety, infrastructure and power lines," the Guam Joint Information Center said in a special bulletin, urging residents and visitors to stay inside.
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