Super Typhoon Sinlaku closes in on the Mariana Islands and Guam with dangerous winds and flooding rain

A powerful storm moves slowly across the Pacific

Sinlaku has been building for days, gathering strength over warm Pacific waters before turning toward the Mariana Islands.

Now, the strongest storm of 2026 so far is approaching a region already bracing for impact.

The super typhoon formed on April 9 and reached sustained winds of 278 km/h, making it an exceptionally intense system even by western Pacific standards.

By Tuesday local time, Sinlaku was located about 126 kilometers southeast of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, USA, USA, USA, moving slowly at around 14 km/h.

That slow movement matters.

It means the storm has more time to push rain, wind and rough seas over the same areas.

Northern Mariana Islands face the most direct threat

The immediate focus is on the Northern Mariana Islands, where Sinlaku is expected to pass close enough to bring dangerous conditions even as it gradually weakens.

Forecasts indicate the storm may still pass through the region as a Category 4 or Category 5 equivalent system.

That means destructive winds remain a serious concern.

Heavy rain bands are also expected to spread across the islands, raising the risk of flooding in low-lying areas and making travel difficult as conditions deteriorate.

Power outages are possible.

The storm may weaken somewhat, but its size and structure still make it dangerous.

Guam avoids a direct hit, but conditions remain serious

Guam appears likely to avoid the storm’s core, but that does not remove the threat.

Guam, United States remains under a tropical storm warning and a typhoon watch, with officials stressing that this is still a serious weather event.

The island is expected to experience:

• sustained winds of 64 to 80 km/h
• gusts up to 105 km/h
• periods of heavy rain
• rough and dangerous seas

Storm conditions are expected to continue into Wednesday.

Authorities have also warned residents to stay out of the water, with hazardous marine conditions likely to persist through Thursday.

Outer islands already damaged before Sinlaku turned north

Before shifting toward Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, Sinlaku had already left damage behind.

Outer islands and atolls in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia were hit by severe weather as the storm moved through the western Pacific.

The full extent of the damage there is still being assessed, but forecasters say the storm caused significant impacts.

That early damage offers a preview of what a slow-moving tropical system can do.

Region remains on edge after recent deadly cyclone

Sinlaku is arriving at a time when the wider Pacific region is already dealing with the aftermath of another major storm.

Tropical Cyclone Maila tore through parts of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands over the weekend as a Category 5 system, triggering floods and landslides that killed at least 11 people.

Emergency assessments are still underway.

Authorities in Papua New Guinea say reports are still coming in from remote communities, with full damage totals not yet known.

The region has had little time to recover.

Slow movement keeps the risk elevated

Sinlaku’s slow pace remains one of the biggest concerns.

Slow-moving tropical systems often bring the heaviest impacts not only because of wind strength, but because they keep feeding moisture into the same areas for hours.

That increases the chance of flash flooding, coastal damage and prolonged disruption.

For islands in its path, the wait can be as difficult as the storm itself.

The weather worsens gradually. Then it stays.