Around 8–9 April 2026, a tropical system began to organise over Micronesia in the western Pacific, at a time of year when such storms are still uncommon in the region. The system intensified rapidly in the following days and was later named Super Typhoon Sinlaku as it moved across open ocean toward the Northern Mariana Islands.
By 13 April 2026, Sinlaku had intensified into a super typhoon, producing sustained winds of up to 278 km/h as it neared the Northern Mariana Islands, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At that time, it was positioned over open water east of the Northern Mariana Islands.
On 15 April, the storm crossed parts of the Northern Mariana Islands, battering Saipan and Tinian for hours with strong winds and heavy rainfall, damaging buildings, uprooting trees and causing flooding across the islands, home to nearly 50,000 people.
This visualisation, based on Copernicus Marine Service data from 13 April 2026 at 23:00 UTC, shows Sinlaku while it remained over open water east of the Northern Mariana Islands. A compact eye is clearly visible at the centre, surrounded by a tight, circular core of the strongest winds. From this centre, spiral bands extend outward across the western Pacific, forming a broad rotating system that stretches toward the Philippines. The flow pattern traces a dense, coherent circulation, with the most intense activity concentrated close to the centre and weaker winds spreading across a much wider area.
Data from the Copernicus Marine Service, combined with satellite observations, supports the monitoring of ocean and atmospheric conditions during events such as Sinlaku. These datasets help track storm development and provide information used to assess potential impacts in exposed regions.
Featured image credit: European Union, Copernicus Marine Service Data
