Super Typhoon Dolphin in the Northwest Pacific Ocean

On July 30, 2026, Super Typhoon Dolphin reached category 5 strength, with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/hr). This true-color corrected reflectance image of the northwest Pacific Ocean—captured on July 31 by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument on the NOAA-21 platform—shows the compact but potent storm and its well-defined eye. It is the fifth category 5 cyclone of 2026, according to media reports.

Dolphin intensified from a tropical storm to a super typhoon in just two days due to warm ocean waters at temperatures between 84°F and 86°F (29°C to 30°C) and low wind shear. This sea surface temperature image from the Group for High Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST) project shows the warm ocean waters surrounding the storm. (The storm's location shown with a red place marker).

The storm is not currently posing any threat to land, but it is predicted to approach the Ogasawara Islands as a strong typhoon by August 3, then the Nansei Islands (Ryukyu Islands), and the East China Sea.

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