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Super Typhoon Champi
FOX Weather • • world
Key Points:
- Tropical Storm Vance, the first V-named storm in the eastern Pacific since 2018, is expected to strengthen into the 13th hurricane of the Pacific Basin season and may become the 10th major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) as it nears Mexico next week.
- Vance developed from Tropical Depression Twenty-Two-E, aided by favorable conditions including a strong Tehuantepecer wind event in southern Mexico that enhances atmospheric spin and supports storm organization.
- In the western Pacific, Super Typhoon Champi has tied Super Typhoon Sinlaku as the strongest storm on Earth in 2026, with sustained winds of 185 mph and gusts up to 225 mph, fueled by extremely warm waters and low wind shear.
- Champi has generated massive 68-foot waves and is expected to weaken gradually as it approaches Taiwan and then curves toward Japan.
- The ongoing Super El Niño climate pattern is intensifying tropical storm activity across the Pacific, contributing to the development and strengthening of storms like Vance and Champi, with a Super El Niño expected to be officially declared later this year.
