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Super typhoon Bavi spares Philippines, heads for Taiwan with 300 kph winds
Pacific nations are bracing for a super El Niño this year, expected to bring hotter weather and less rainfall while fueling stronger and more destructive super typhoons
- PUBLISHED: Mon 6 Jul 2026, 6:00 AM
Weather authorities declared a low chance of super-typhoon Bavi making landfall in the Philippines as it barrels westward from the Mariana Islands in the Pacific. With gusts of up to 300 kilometers per hour (km/h), 2026’s second super typhoon will enter the Philippine area of responsibility(PAR) on Tuesday but will curve northwards towards Taiwan.
This is the second time this year that a freak weather event is sparing the Philippines and hitting its neighbors Taiwan and Japan.
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A super typhoon is the most powerful category of tropical cyclone in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, defined by maximum sustained surface winds of 185 km/h (115 mph) or greater—the equivalent of a strong Category 4 or Category 5 hurricane.
Various weather agencies describe a super typhoon as a “highly intense” weather event. Super typhoon Bavi is said to be “very dangerous,” prompting the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas and the Marianas to order massive pre-emptive evacuation of residents.
Guam governor Lou Leon Guerrero earlier said Guam has prepared itself for the super typhoon’s arrival. “I have every confidence that we are prepared, we just need to hunker down. We are praying for everyone in the CNMI and the Marianas,” the leader noted.
How destructive is a super typhoon?
If a super typhoon makes landfall in a populated area, it may cause the deaths of thousands and destruction of property worth billions of dollars.
Super Typhoon Haiyan (known in the Philippines as Yolanda) is considered the most destructive and powerful super typhoon to ever make landfall in recorded history. Striking the Philippines on November 8, 2013, it produced maximum sustained winds of 315 km/h (195 mph) and a devastating storm surge that entirely obliterated coastal cities like Tacloban and Estancia.
Haiyan claimed more than 6,300 lives, displaced over 4 million people, and caused roughly P95.48 billion (Dh5.7 billion) in damages.
How frequent is a super typhoon?
A super typhoon is relatively common in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, where an average of four to five super typhoons form each year. This part of the world generates about one-third of the world's tropical cyclones, and historically sees these massive storms develop in almost every annual season.
Philippine climate scientists note that the occurrence of super typhoons in the PAR has been increasing in recent years.
Pacific nations are bracing for the onset of a Super El Niño this year, characterised by hotter weather and fewer rains in the region. While super El Niño lowers the number of tropical cyclones, those that develop into super typhoons tends to be more powerful and destructive.
Places like Japan, Taiwan, Guam, and Micronesia often face a higher threat of powerful storms in a super El Niño year. The Philippines typically experiences fewer direct hits but can suffer from enhanced monsoon rains and, overall, much hotter and drier weather.