Overview
- Supertyphoon Sinlaku struck the Northern Mariana Islands as a Category 4, with its eye crossing Tinian and Saipan and sustained winds near 230 km/h, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
- Japan’s weather agency put central pressure near 920 millibars as an eyewall replacement the day before reduced peak winds from Category 5 to Category 4.
- Guam avoided a direct hit but saw tropical-storm gusts near 60 mph, heavy rain, and widespread closures, the National Weather Service said.
- President Donald Trump approved emergency declarations for Guam and the Northern Marianas, and FEMA moved in staff and supplies to support repairs to power, water, and ports with U.S. military help.
- NASA and forecasters flagged the storm’s unusual early strength, noting El Niño can shift storms east over warmer water and give them more time to intensify.