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Typhoon Sinlaku makes landfall on Saipan and Tinian in the Mariana Islands

By Scott Bachmeier •

2.5-minute Himawari-9 Visible (0.64 µm) images, from 2032 UTC on 13 April to 0802 UTC on 14 April [click to play animated GIF]

2.5-minute Target Sector JMA Himawari-9 AHI Visible images (above) showed Super Typhoon Sinlaku as its eye approached Saipan (station identifier PGSN) in the Mariana Islands on 13-14 April 2026. Mesovrticies were evident within the eye. After reaching its peak intensity on 12 April (blog post 1 | blog  post 2), Sinlaku was in the process of a gradual weakening trend, decreasing from Category 5 intensity to Category 4 intensity by 0000 UTC on 14 April (JTWC discussion).

A longer animation of Himawari-9 Infrared images (below) showed Sinlaku making landfall on the islands of Saipan and Tinian, as a Category 4 storm around 1432 UTC on 14 April.

2.5-minute Himawari-9 Infrared (10.4 µm) images, from 2032 UTC on 13 April to 1519 UTC on 14 April [click to play animated GIF]

Microwave imagery (source) from ATMS (below) displayed the large outer eyewall ring that remained after Sinlaku had undergone a recent eyewall replacement cycle. The islands of Saipan and Tinian were located within this large eyewall.

ATMS Microwave (183 GHz) image at 1559 UTC on 14 April

ATMS Microwave (183 GHz) image at 1559 UTC on 14 April

Categories: ATMS, Himawari-9, Microwave, Tropical cyclones