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Super Typhoon Bavi rapidly intensifies to a Category 5 storm east of Guam

By Scott Bachmeier •

Himawari-9 Infrared Window images with an overlay of contours and streamlines of deep-layer wind shear at 1800 UTC on 03 July

Super Typhoon Bavi rapidly intensified to a Category 5 tropical cyclone east of Guam on 03 July 2026 (ADT | SATCON). Bavi was moving through an environment characterized by low values of deep-layer wind shear (above), as it was traversing progressively warmer water (Sea Surface Temperature | Ocean Heat Content).

Himawari-9 Visible and Infrared images (below) provided a post-sunrise view of Bavi.

10-minute Himawari-9 Visible (left) and Infrared Window (right) images, from 1940 UTC on 03 July to 0030 UTC on 04 July

Himawari-9 Visible images (below) revealed the presence of low-altitude mesovortices within the eye of Bavi.

10-minute Himawari-9 Visible images, from 1940 UTC on 03 July to 0800 UTC on 04 July

A NOAA-21 VIIRS Day/Night Band image (below) also displayed low-altitude mesovortices within the eye.

NOAA-21 (mislabeled as NPP) VIIRS Day/Night Band image valid at 0235 UTC on 04 July [click to enlarge]

Categories: Himawari-9, NOAA-21, Tropical cyclones, VIIRS