Super Typhoon Champi has intensified into the strongest tropical cyclone recorded worldwide in 2026 by wind speed, with maximum sustained winds reaching 296 km/h as it moves across the western Pacific Ocean.
According to the US National Weather Service, Champi reached peak intensity on Tuesday, October 20, with winds of 185 miles per hour, equivalent to approximately 298 km/h.
The storm’s peak winds surpassed those of Hurricane Polo, which recorded maximum sustained winds of about 287 km/h, and Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which reached approximately 285 km/h, according to The Weather Network.
Champi is also the seventh storm of 2026 to reach Category 5-equivalent intensity.
The typhoon passed close to Guam on Sunday, October 18, with its centre moving about 16 kilometres south of the island’s southern tip.
The storm brought damaging winds and heavy rainfall to Guam, prompting warnings over flash flooding, dangerous coastal conditions and possible disruption to electricity supplies.
US President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Guam, allowing federal assistance to support the island’s response to the storm.
As of Wednesday, October 21, the National Weather Service said Champi was moving west-northwest at approximately 27 km/h, with its centre located far northwest of Guam.
Forecasters expect the system to continue moving towards the northwest before gradually weakening over the coming days as environmental conditions become less favourable.
Despite its movement away from Guam, the storm remains powerful, and forecasters are monitoring its projected path across the western Pacific.
Champi’s rapid intensification has placed it among the most powerful tropical cyclones recorded this year, highlighting the potential for severe weather from storms developing over warm ocean waters.
