Super typhoon Sinlaku - the world's strongest typhoon to date in 2026 - made direct landfall on the US Northern Mariana Islands on the evening of April 14 (local time), bringing the strongest winds of about 240 km/h, gusting nearly 280 km/h, causing serious widespread damage.
The eye of the storm - also known as the eye of the storm - directly swept through Saipan and Tinian islands, home to about 50,000 people. This is considered a rare direct hit, as the entire strongest storm structure covered residential areas for many hours.
Strong gusts of wind and torrential rain have torn corrugated iron roofs, knocked down trees and turned many residential areas into "battlefields". In Susupe village (Saipan Island), resident Dong Min Lee said the scene was chaotic when a car was thrown over two other cars in the parking lot, and the balcony of his apartment was partially blown away by the wind.
With a complete structure and maximum intensity, Sinlaku maintained a state of devastation for many hours before dawn on April 15.
Not only Northern Mariana, Guam Island - a US territory with more than 170,000 people and many military bases - also suffered strong winds and torrential rain, causing flash floods and the risk of prolonged power and water disruptions for many days.
According to a warning from the meteorological agency, with this intensity, almost all corrugated iron roof houses may be destroyed, trees will be uprooted in large numbers, and many residential areas are at risk of being isolated for weeks.
Notably, Sinlaku is the first super typhoon of 2026 and has reached maximum intensity with a "rapid intensification" rate. In just over 30 hours from the 11th to the 12th of April, this typhoon jumped from level 1 to level 5 - one of the fastest growth rates ever recorded.
Meteorologists believe that Sinlaku formed in "perfect to dangerous" conditions: extremely high seawater temperatures (30-32 degrees C), low-level winds, abundant humid air and strong upper airflows. This is the "golden formula" for creating super typhoons with perfect structure and maximum destructive power.
Satellite images show an "atmospheric monster" with a round, clear eye of the storm - a sign of extreme intensity. Hot and humid air is continuously drawn into the eye of the storm, rising up and releasing energy, maintaining an extremely stable closed spiral with terrible destructive power.
Sinlaku is forecast to gradually weaken in the coming days but still maintain level 4-5 as it continues to move through the Mariana area before turning northward.
The early appearance of a super typhoon right at the beginning of the season is raising concerns about an extreme weather year. El Nino - a phenomenon that abnormally warms seawater - is playing a role as a "fuel source", promoting the formation and intensification of stronger, faster and more unpredictable storms.
Meteorologists are sounding the alarm about the risk of the worst El Nino in 140 years this year.
The appearance of Typhoon Sinlaku and Typhoon Maila on both sides of the equator in the western Pacific region creates strong west winds, pushing warm water masses to move east - one of the important conditions promoting El Nino development.
Scientists warn that Sinlaku may just be the beginning of a severe storm season, when climate factors are simultaneously exacerbating the power of nature to an unprecedentedly dangerous level.
