Super Typhoon Champi Passes Guam, Warnings Lifted for Tinian, Saipan
Typhoon Champi (29W) strengthened into a Super Typhoon as its eye passed about 10 miles south of Guam's southern tip around 4:26 a.m. ChST Oct. 18, 2026. The National Weather Service's Guam forecast office confirmed the upgrade, with Champi's winds holding at 150 mph and its center about 40 miles west-southwest of Guam, moving west-northwest at 16 mph.
Champi's eye remained compact, 5 to 6 miles wide, as the storm pulled away from the island. Tropical storm conditions had already been verified on Rota that morning, and the weather service said tropical storm-force gusts were likely to continue there for a few more hours.
In a later bulletin, the National Weather Service said the Tropical Storm Warning and Typhoon Watch for Tinian and Saipan were cancelled, with the islands by then outside the radius of sustained tropical storm-force winds though gusts to 45 mph were still occurring. A Typhoon Warning remained in force for Guam and Rota.
The most recent bulletin put Champi's center about 150 miles west of Guam, still moving west at 12 mph with winds unchanged at 150 mph. The National Weather Service said the Typhoon Warning continued for Guam and Rota, and that no watches or warnings were in effect for Tinian and Saipan.
Dangerous surf of 16 to 22 feet continued along Guam's east and south-facing reefs as of that same bulletin, and was expected to gradually diminish overnight along east-facing reefs as Champi pulls away. The weather service said many metal-roof homes on Guam may have sustained minor to moderate damage, particularly those with canopies, awnings or carports, while poorly built homes could see minor wall damage or partial roof loss from the wind.
