Super Typhoon Bavi Makes Landfall in the Western Pacific

Is this proof of a climate change crisis or just the natural fury of a strong El Niño?

16 hours ago·Updated 9 hours ago

Super Typhoon Bavi Makes Landfall in the Western Pacific

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Above: Super Typhoon Bavi impacted Guam with strong winds on July 6. Image credit: Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Climate-concerned narrative

Super Typhoon Bavi slammed Rota with winds over 180 mph, causing catastrophic damage to a U.S. territory still reeling from Super Typhoon Sinlaku just months earlier. Parts of Saipan and Tinian were already without power from Sinlaku when Bavi hit, piling devastation on devastation. Climate change, tied to a turbocharged El Nino is driving this surge in powerful storms and U.S. territories in the Western Pacific.

NA on Yale Climate Connections

Climate-skeptic narrative

Bavi's explosive rapid intensification — gaining 100 mph in just 36 hours — was fueled by record-warm ocean waters and low wind shear, making it a textbook product of a strong El Niño season. The storm's Category 5 strength reflects natural Pacific variability, not an unprecedented climate emergency. Strong El Niño years have always produced clusters of super typhoons, and forecasters had high confidence in both track and intensity well before landfall.

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