--- description: It has peak sustained wind speeds of 180 m.p.h., making it the strongest tropical cyclone recorded this year title: Super Typhoon Soudelor Heads Toward Taiwan, Japan and China image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [weather](/tag/weather/) ## weather Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The Strongest Typhoon This Year Is Heading Toward Taiwan, Japan and China by [Helen Regan](/author/helen-regan/) ## Helen Regan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 4, 2015 9:08 AM CUT by [Helen Regan](/author/helen-regan/) ## Helen Regan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 4, 2015 9:08 AM CUT Supertyphoon Soudelor has rapidly strengthened into a Category 5 storm in the northwest Pacific, with peak sustained wind speeds of 180 m.p.h., the Weather Channel reports. That makes it the strongest tropical [cyclone](http://www.weather.com/storms/typhoon/news/typhoon-soudelor-forecast-west-pacific-taiwan-japan "undefined") recorded this year. > [](https://twitter.com/NOAASatellites/status/628296636121395201) On Sunday, Soudelor, which made landfall as a Category 2 storm, slammed into the Northern Mariana Islands, causing “extensive” [damage](http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2015/08/03/typhoon-smashes-into-saipan/31045207/ "undefined") on Saipan. The storm brought down power lines, toppled roofs and flooded the island’s power plant. Hundreds of Saipan’s residents sought shelter until Monday afternoon. Saipan’s acting governor Ralph D.L.G. Torres declared “a state of disaster and significant emergency” for the island, reports the _Pacific Daily News_. > [](https://twitter.com/MichaelRLowry/status/627839086821138432) According to the [Joint Typhoon Warning Center,](http://www.usno.navy.mil/NOOC/nmfc-ph/RSS/jtwc/warnings/wp1315web.txt "undefined") the supertyphoon is expected to continue on its path northwestward across the Pacific Ocean over the next few days but will weaken as it nears Taiwan, China and Japan’s southwestern Ryukyu islands by Friday. The [name](http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2015/07/31/what-does-soudelor-mean/30922777/ "undefined") Soudelor comes from the Federated States of Micronesia and is a Pohnpeaian word for a legendary chief or ruler. \[[_Weather Channel_](http://www.weather.com/storms/typhoon/news/typhoon-soudelor-forecast-west-pacific-taiwan-japan "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3983383/super-typhoon-cyclone-soudelor-taiwan-china-japan/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3983383/super-typhoon-cyclone-soudelor-taiwan-china-japan/"},"headline":"The Strongest Typhoon This Year Is Heading Toward Taiwan, Japan and China","datePublished":"2015-08-04T09:08:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T09:52:13.204Z","description":"It is expected to weaken as it nears Taiwan, however","url":"https://time.com/3983383/super-typhoon-cyclone-soudelor-taiwan-china-japan/","keywords":["weather","China","Japan","Taiwan","typhoon"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Helen Regan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/helen-regan/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/weather/","name":"weather"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3983383/super-typhoon-cyclone-soudelor-taiwan-china-japan/","name":"The Strongest Typhoon This Year Is Heading Toward Taiwan, Japan and China"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Is Climate Change Causing Extreme Weather?","description":"Is the frequency of extreme weather events a sign that global warming is gaining pace and exceeding predictions? 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