Super Typhoon Bavi
Context
Super Typhoon Bavi, one of the strongest storms of the 2026 Pacific cyclone season, impacted the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, besides affecting the Ryukyu Islands of Japan and parts of China in the western North Pacific.
Facts
- Bavi became the third tropical cyclone in 2026 to intensify into a Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS).
- Category 5 represents the highest level of cyclone intensity on the SSHWS, with maximum sustained winds of 252 km/h (157 mph) or more, capable of causing widespread catastrophic damage.
- The SSHWS classifies hurricanes into five categories solely on the basis of their maximum sustained wind speed, providing an estimate of potential wind-related destruction.
- The terms hurricane, typhoon and cyclone describe the same tropical weather system. The terminology differs only according to the ocean basin where the storm develops.
- A cyclone is designated a Super Typhoon when its maximum sustained surface winds reach at least 240 km/h (150 mph), roughly equivalent to a high-end Category 4 or Category 5 hurricane.
Concept
- A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating low-pressure system that forms over warm tropical oceans and derives its energy from warm, moist air.
- Regional names for tropical cyclones are:
- Hurricane: North Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific Ocean
- Typhoon: Western North Pacific Ocean
- Cyclone: North Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean
- The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS) assesses cyclone intensity based only on sustained wind speed. It does not consider rainfall, storm surge or flooding while assigning categories.