Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are once again in the path of a strengthening storm, just weeks after typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi swept through the region. What started as Tropical Depression 29W has been upgraded to Tropical Storm Champi, carrying maximum sustained winds of 40 mph — and forecasters expect it to keep intensifying into a typhoon before moving across the Marianas this weekend.
The National Weather Service has Guam, Rota, Tinian and Saipan under a typhoon watch, meaning typhoon-force winds of at least 74 mph are possible within 48 hours. The advisory, issued at 2 a.m. Friday, urges residents to prepare for heavy rainfall, damaging winds and dangerous seas and surf, and to follow the direction of local officials and emergency management agencies. Both Guam and the CNMI have moved to Condition of Readiness 3.
If you have a trip booked to any of the Mariana Islands in the coming days, treat this as an active situation rather than background weather noise. Storms in this part of the Pacific can intensify quickly, and a tropical storm watch can turn into a typhoon warning within a day. Expect possible flight cancellations into Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport on Guam and the airports serving Saipan, Rota and Tinian, as well as ferry and inter-island disruption if seas build as forecast.
Practical steps: check with your airline about rebooking policies before you head to the airport, keep an eye on National Weather Service updates for Guam and the CNMI, and follow guidance from local emergency management if you are already on island. Hotels in the region are used to typhoon preparations, but it is worth confirming your accommodation's storm procedures. If your travel dates are flexible, delaying arrival until the system has passed — and until power, water and transport services are confirmed restored — is the sensible call, especially with the islands still recovering from two earlier typhoons this season.
For those not yet in the region, this is a reminder that the Western Pacific's typhoon season runs through late autumn, and the Marianas sit squarely in the main corridor. Anyone planning a Guam, Saipan, Tinian or Rota trip in the coming weeks should build in weather flexibility — refundable fares and free-cancellation accommodation are worth the small premium here.
