Super Typhoon Bavi has strengthened and is now a Category 5 storm, making it the third Category 5 hurricane-equivalent of 2026.

An update notes that Bavi’s maximum sustained winds increased to 178 mph (155 kt or 287 km/h), with a central pressure around 910 mb, as the storm approaches the Northern Mariana Islands. Satellite imagery shows Bavi’s eye to be wide and well-defined, roughly 25 nautical miles in diameter. The system is forecast to maintain extreme strength as it moves west-northwest.

The article adds that Bavi is expected to pass near or over Rota after sunrise on Monday. Heavy rainbands are already affecting the island chain from Guam to the Northern Mariana Islands and are expected to continue bringing heavy rainfall and strong wind gusts through late Tuesday night or early Wednesday as the storm moves away.

It also provides context by listing other major storms during the year, including Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which had 185 mph winds (295 km/h) and made landfall over the U.S. Northern Mariana Islands in mid-April.

Finally, the article discusses longer-term patterns, noting that the number of Category 5 storms globally has increased since accurate satellite records began in 1982, and that climate change is expected to increase the proportion of tropical cyclones reaching Category 4 or 5 strength.