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April 18, 2026 - Typhoon Sinlaku
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Typhoon Sinlaku made landfall in the Northern Mariana Islands on April 14, 2026, as a powerful Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, carrying maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour (241 km/h) and gusts reaching 185 miles per hour (298 km/h). The islands of Saipan and Tinian experienced widespread power blackouts and extensive damage to homes and infrastructure, as well as heavy flooding from over 20 inches (51 cm) of rain. Guam also experienced significant impacts, including power outages and flash flooding, though it avoided a direct hit from the storm's eye.
On April 17, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the impressive storm moving away from the Northern Mariana Islands. Near the time this image was acquired, maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour (145 km) were reported, placing it at Category 1 strength.
At 11:00 p.m. EDT on April 17 (0300 UTC April 18), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center confirmed that Typhoon Sinlaku was continuing to weaken as it moved northeastward away from the islands. At that time, it barely maintained Category 1 strength, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h). The storm is forecast to continue to weaken, becoming an extratropical cyclone within the next 48 hours.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 4/17/2026
Resolutions:
1km (271.4 KB), 500m (853 KB), 250m (2.4 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Typhoon Sinlaku made landfall in the Northern Mariana Islands on April 14, 2026, as a powerful Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, carrying maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour (241 km/h) and gusts reaching 185 miles per hour (298 km/h). The islands of Saipan and Tinian experienced widespread power blackouts and extensive damage to homes and infrastructure, as well as heavy flooding from over 20 inches (51 cm) of rain. Guam also experienced significant impacts, including power outages and flash flooding, though it avoided a direct hit from the storm's eye.
On April 17, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the impressive storm moving away from the Northern Mariana Islands. Near the time this image was acquired, maximum sustained winds of 90 miles per hour (145 km) were reported, placing it at Category 1 strength.
At 11:00 p.m. EDT on April 17 (0300 UTC April 18), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center confirmed that Typhoon Sinlaku was continuing to weaken as it moved northeastward away from the islands. At that time, it barely maintained Category 1 strength, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (121 km/h). The storm is forecast to continue to weaken, becoming an extratropical cyclone within the next 48 hours.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 4/17/2026
Resolutions:
1km (271.4 KB), 500m (853 KB), 250m (2.4 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
