The latest storm news from the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) said that Typhoon Dudzai - the first super typhoon in 2026 - is operating in the Indian Ocean region, with very strong winds, high sea waves and still complicated developments.
The center of Typhoon Dudzai is currently located about 1,228 km south-southeast of Diego Garcia Island, moving slowly in a westerly direction at a speed of about 7 km/h. The sea area around the storm recorded waves up to more than 7 m high, causing serious danger to maritime activities.
In the next 2 days, Typhoon Dudzai is forecast to continue moving west, following the northern edge of the subtropical high pressure. Then, when this high pressure system weakens and changes direction, Typhoon Dudzai tends to gradually shift to the southwest, maintaining this trajectory until the end of the forecast period (about 5 days).
In the next 12-24 hours, Typhoon Dudzai is forecast to maintain very strong intensity, with winds of about 120 km/h. After that, the storm is likely to strengthen again, reaching winds of about 150 km/h in the next 1-2 days.
However, towards the end of the forecast period, due to cooler seawater and dry air intrusion, Typhoon Dudzai tends to gradually weaken, with winds possibly decreasing to about 95 km/h after 5 days. JTWC assesses forecast intensity reliability at an average level, due to differences between models.
Dudzai officially reached super typhoon level from January 12 and maintained wind speeds above 180km/h until January 13. MTOTEC's forecast model recorded the strongest gusts of wind reaching 290km/h when Typhoon Dudzai reached maximum intensity.
Typhoon Dudzai became the second most powerful tropical storm in the 2025-2026 storm season in the southwestern Indian Ocean region, after Super Typhoon Grant - a typhoon operating from 2025 to 2026. Dudzai is the first storm in the world to reach super typhoon level in 2026.
The typhoon season in the Indian Ocean region is usually opposite to the Pacific Ocean when it lasts from late October to May, with peak times falling in late February and early March, so the risk of extreme weather during this time is quite high.
Tourists who are planning to travel or transit through island nations in the southern Indian Ocean, eastern Africa (especially Madagascar) or international shipping routes in the region, should pay special attention to monitoring the situation.
