Typhoon In-fa could reach super typhoon strength before passing Northern Marianas

US National Weather Service forecasts the storm near Pagan Island on Friday; Saipan sits outside the cone of uncertainty for now

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published27 October 2026

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Illustration: Typhoon In-fa could reach super typhoon strength before passing Northern Marianas

Typhoon In-fa could intensify into a super typhoon by Thursday before passing through the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) near Pagan Island on Friday, according to the US National Weather Service (NWS) in Guam.

According to the NWS's Tuesday morning update, In-fa was a category 3 typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour (about 201 kilometres per hour). It rapidly intensified from a category 1 typhoon on Monday afternoon to category 4 by Monday evening before weakening slightly as it stayed nearly stationary over cooler ocean waters.

At 7am Tuesday local time, the storm was about 1,180 miles east of Guam, moving west at just one mile per hour. Forecasters expect it to pick up speed and turn west-northwest while strengthening over the next two days.

The latest forecast places In-fa near or over Pagan Island late Friday, with weather models generally agreeing on a track between Anatahan and Agrihan. The NWS said Saipan now sits just outside the southern edge of the forecast cone of uncertainty, making a direct hit increasingly unlikely, but cautioned that the storm could still shift southward and pass close to Saipan. Changes in track and timing remain possible as the storm approaches.

As of Tuesday morning, no tropical storm or typhoon watches or warnings were in effect for Guam or the CNMI. Residents throughout the Northern Marianas are being urged to monitor the storm closely and prepare to take action if conditions change.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

In-fa is forecast to pass the islands at or near super typhoon strength, with Pagan Island in the centre of the forecast corridor late Friday.
The preparation window is short: the storm was moving at just one mile per hour on Tuesday morning, but forecasters expect it to accelerate and strengthen over the next two days.
The territory may face this storm while still dealing with the last one. Typhoon Champi, a category 4 storm that passed near Guam, prompted recovery efforts on Guam and an all clear in the CNMI.

Background

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is a US territory in the western Pacific, a chain of islands including Saipan, Pagan, Anatahan and Agrihan. Typhoons form over warm ocean water and can strengthen quickly when conditions favour them, which is why forecasters track storms like In-fa closely. Its current position, about 1,180 miles east of Guam, puts it in open ocean where its intensity can still change considerably before it reaches the islands.

What to Watch

Whether In-fa reaches super typhoon strength by Thursday as it moves off the cooler waters where it has been stalled.
The storm's track late Friday: models point to Pagan Island and a corridor between Anatahan and Agrihan, and any southward shift would bring it closer to Saipan.
Whether the NWS issues tropical storm or typhoon watches or warnings; as of Tuesday morning, none were in effect for Guam or the CNMI.

Sources

Typhoon In-fa could become super typhoon before reaching Northern Marianas · RNZ New Zealand Headlines

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12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.

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SupportedIn-fa could reach super typhoon strength by Thursday before passing through the CNMI near Pagan Island on Friday.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Typhoon In-fa could intensify into a super typhoon by Thursday before passing through the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) near Pagan Island on Friday”
Partly supportedThe NWS forecast placed In-fa near Pagan Island on Friday.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “The latest forecast places In-fa near or over Pagan Island late Friday”
SupportedSaipan is just outside the southern edge of the forecast cone of uncertainty.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “The NWS said Saipan is now just outside the southern edge of the forecast cone of uncertainty”
SupportedThe NWS in Guam forecast that In-fa could intensify into a super typhoon by Thursday and pass through the CNMI near Pagan Island on Friday.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Typhoon In-fa could intensify into a super typhoon by Thursday before passing through the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) near Pagan Island on Friday, according to the US National Weather Service (NWS) in Guam.”
SupportedThe Tuesday morning NWS update described In-fa as a category 3 typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour, about 201 kilometres per hour.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “In its Tuesday morning update, the NWS said In-fa was a category 3 typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour, or about 201 kilometres per hour.”
SupportedIn-fa intensified from category 1 on Monday afternoon to category 4 by Monday evening, then weakened slightly while nearly stationary over cooler ocean waters.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “The storm had rapidly intensified from a category 1 typhoon on Monday afternoon to category 4 by Monday evening, before weakening slightly as it remained nearly stationary over cooler ocean waters.”
SupportedAt 7am Tuesday local time, In-fa was about 1,180 miles east of Guam and moving west at one mile per hour.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “At 7am Tuesday loal time, In-fa was located about 1180 miles east of Guam and was moving west at just one mile per hour.”
SupportedForecasters expected In-fa to pick up speed, turn west-northwest and strengthen over the next two days.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “Forecasters expect the typhoon to pick up speed and turn west-northwest while strengthening over the next two days.”
SupportedWeather models generally agreed on a track between Anatahan and Agrihan.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “with weather models generally agreeing on a track between Anatahan and Agrihan in the Northern Marianas.”
SupportedA direct hit on Saipan was increasingly unlikely, but the storm could still shift southward and pass close to the island.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “making a direct hit increasingly unlikely. However, forecasters cautioned that the storm could still shift southward and pass close to Saipan.”
SupportedChanges in the storm’s track and timing remained possible as it approached.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “They also warned that changes in the storm's track and timing remain possible as it approaches the islands.”
SupportedNo tropical storm or typhoon watches or warnings were in effect for Guam or the CNMI as of Tuesday morning.RNZ New Zealand Headlines: “As of Tuesday morning, no tropical storm or typhoon watches or warnings were in effect for Guam or the CNMI.”