Super Typhoon Sinlaku, the most powerful tropical storm on Earth so far this year, is barrelling toward the Northern Mariana Islands — a chain of remote US territories in the western Pacific — threatening catastrophic winds, heavy flooding and prolonged power outages. The storm was producing sustained winds of 173 mph (278 kph) on Monday as it closed in on the islands, and forecasters expect it to make landfall late Tuesday local time as a Category 4 or 5 typhoon.

The islands of Saipan and Tinian are expected to bear the worst of the storm, while a slight northward shift in Sinlaku's track makes a direct hit on the more populous Guam less likely. Around 50,000 people live across Rota, Tinian and Saipan, with most residents on Saipan — a resort island known for its beaches and golf courses and the administrative capital of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a self-governing US territory. Guam, home to roughly 170,000 people and several major US military installations, was already being lashed early Tuesday by heavy rains and wind gusts of up to 60 mph, with most businesses closed and residents urged to shelter in place.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service warn that rainfall totals could exceed 300 mm between Monday and Thursday, bringing the risk of flash flooding, mudslides and hazardous storm surges in the typhoon's wake. While the storm is expected to weaken slightly before landfall, it is forecast to remain at super typhoon intensity — a classification used in the northwest Pacific equivalent to a Category 4 or 5 Atlantic hurricane, with sustained winds of at least 150 mph.

The US federal government has moved quickly to marshal resources. President Donald Trump approved emergency disaster declarations for both Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands on Saturday, unlocking additional federal assistance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has deployed nearly 100 staff alongside personnel from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Transportation and the US Army Corps of Engineers. FEMA noted that its disaster relief fund held approximately $3.6 billion at the end of March and that emergency response operations continue despite an ongoing funding dispute affecting the Department of Homeland Security.

Meteorologists have noted that a typhoon of this intensity in April is particularly unusual, as the peak season for the region typically runs from June to November. The storm's arrival evokes memories of Typhoon Mawar, which knocked out power across Guam for days in 2023, and of Saipan's broader history as the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific theatre in World War II. Forecasters and emergency officials are urging residents to treat Sinlaku with extreme caution, warning that its destructive potential is comparable to the most severe storms ever to strike the region.