Super Typhoon Champi intensifies into one of the year's most powerful storms

Super Typhoon Champi, which is barreling across the western Pacific Ocean, became one of the strongest storms on Earth in 2026 on Wednesday.

The tropical cyclone tied April’s Super Typhoon Sinlaku for the strongest 1-minute sustained winds of 2026, at 185 mph, which is equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane.

Hurricanes and typhoons are both tropical cyclones with sustained winds of at least 74 mph. 

“A tropical cyclone is a generic term used by meteorologists to describe a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has closed, low-level circulation,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The main difference between hurricanes and typhoons is geographic: Storms in the Northwest Pacific are called typhoons, while those in the North Atlantic and central and eastern North Pacific are called hurricanes.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center classifies a storm as a super typhoon when its 1-minute sustained winds reach at least 150 mph. That threshold falls within the Category 4 hurricane range.

What is Champi’s path?

Champi is currently east of the Philippines and southeast of Taiwan, moving west-northwest across the Philippine Sea at 15 mph. Maximum sustained winds are at 175 mph, after peaking at 185 mph, according to the latest update from the National Weather Service.

The storm is forecast to make a slight turn toward the northwest and weaken through Thursday.

Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command

What are the expected impacts?

Champi is expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of Taiwan and eastern China through the weekend, according to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Jason Nicholls.

Heavy rain is expected to affect Taiwan from Thursday night (Oct. 22) into Saturday (Oct. 24) and east-central China from Friday night (Oct. 23) through Sunday (Oct. 25). Rainfall is forecast to total up to 18 inches, with the heaviest rain expected in northeastern Taiwan.

The heavy rain could cause flooding, mudslides, structural damage and transportation delays, according to AccuWeather.

Strong winds from Champi, with wind gusts up to 120 mph, are expected to affect Taiwan and eastern China from Thursday night into Sunday. The winds could cause structural damage, prolonged power outages and transportation delays.