The Northwest Pacific typhoon season has no official start or end date, so the 2026 typhoon season is best thought of as a season-long window rather than a set of fixed dates. Storms can form in any month, and the busiest, most intense stretch runs from about July to October.
This guide is the hub for the whole Pacific typhoon season 2026: when it runs, how typhoons get their names, the actual 2026 name lists, the latest forecast, and what all of it means if you are travelling to Tokyo, Manila, or anywhere across the Asia-Pacific.
- The Northwest Pacific has no official season dates. Storms are possible year-round, activity peaks from about July to October, and the strongest typhoons usually arrive in August and September.
- Tropical Storm Risk raised its outlook on 7 July 2026 to an exceptionally active season, roughly 40% above the long-term average, with a strong El Niño event cited as the main driver.
- Typhoons are usually trackable days in advance, so check airline waivers, keep bookings flexible, and follow JMA and PAGASA before you travel.
When is the Pacific typhoon season?
The Northwest Pacific is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, covering the Pacific north of the equator between 100°E and the International Date Line. Unlike the Atlantic, which runs an official hurricane season from 1 June to 30 November, the Northwest Pacific has no fixed dates, and tropical cyclones have been recorded in every month of the year.
In practice, most storms form between May and October. Activity builds through early summer, and the peak stretch runs from roughly July to October.
The strongest, most frequent typhoons usually appear in August and September, though a smaller number of powerful storms can still develop in November and later.
Building
High
Peak
For 2026, forecasters expect a well above-average season, helped along by a strong El Niño event that NOAA placed on Advisory status in June 2026. The numbers are further down this page.
How typhoons get their names
Two naming systems run side by side in this part of the world, which is why a single storm often carries two names.
The JMA international list
The Japan Meteorological Agency, through its RSMC Tokyo Typhoon Center, assigns the official international name once a system reaches tropical storm intensity, with sustained winds of about 63 km/h (34 knots). The names come from a single list of 140, contributed by the 14 members of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee, with each member submitting 10 names.
The list runs in a continuous sequence and rolls from one year into the next without resetting. A storm named late in one year is simply followed by the next name on the list, regardless of the calendar year change.
PAGASA’s local Philippine names
The Philippines keeps its own list. A typhoon there is a bagyo, the word for a tropical cyclone in Tagalog and several other Philippine languages.
PAGASA, the national weather agency, gives a local name to every tropical cyclone that forms in or enters its Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), a monitoring zone covering roughly 5°N to 25°N and 115°E to 135°E. It does so even for weaker tropical depressions that never earn an international name, and even when a storm already has a JMA name.
PAGASA rotates through several pre-set name lists on a multi-year cycle, and the 2026 roster runs from Ada to Zeny.
- One global list of 140 names
- 14 Typhoon Committee members, 10 names each
- Assigned at tropical storm strength (winds around 63 km/h)
- Used in sequence and carried over year to year, with no annual reset
- 2026’s ninth named storm, Bavi, shows how far the rolling list has moved on since it last returned to the start
- A storm here is a bagyo (Filipino for typhoon)
- Named for any cyclone in PAGASA’s area (the PAR)
- Applies even to tropical depressions and to storms that already have a JMA name
- Names rotate on a multi-year cycle; 2026 runs from Ada to Zeny
- Result: many storms carry two names (for example, Bavi is also Inday)
So a storm such as Typhoon Bavi, which strengthened into a super typhoon over the Western Pacific in early July 2026, was tracked internationally as Bavi and locally in the Philippines as Inday.
The 2026 typhoon names
Because the international list cycles continuously, there is no separate annual set of JMA names for 2026. Storms simply take the next available names on the rolling 140-name list, continuing from wherever the sequence currently stands rather than starting over each year.
You can view the full international list on the JMA site, linked in the Sources below.
The list that is genuinely specific to 2026 is PAGASA’s local roster for the Philippines. These are the 25 main names for the year, four of them new, replacing names retired after the destructive 2022 season.
Basyang
Caloy
Domeng
Ester
Francisco
Gardo
Henry
Inday
Josie
Kiyapo
Luis
Maymay
Neneng
Obet
Pilandok
Queenie
Rosal
Samuel
Tomas
Umberto
Venus
Waldo
Yayang
Zeny
2026 season forecast and storms so far
Tropical Storm Risk (TSR), a London-based forecasting group, raised its outlook on 7 July 2026 to 28 tropical storms, 19 typhoons and 12 intense typhoons, against 30-year (1991-2020) norms of 25.5, 16 and 9.3.
That is roughly 40% above the long-term average, and TSR described 2026 as an exceptionally active season with a high likelihood of ranking among the busiest Northwest Pacific seasons in recent decades.
TSR pointed to a strong El Niño event, already declared by NOAA in June 2026 and expected to strengthen further into the autumn, as the main driver.
(norm: 25.5)
(norm: 16)
(norm: 9.3)
The season has lived up to that early billing. By the middle of July 2026, the basin had already produced its ninth named storm, Super Typhoon Bavi (PAGASA name Inday), which peaked as a violent, Category 5-equivalent storm before making landfall in China.
The most active months are still ahead at the time of writing. Because forecasters usually track these systems days in advance, travellers generally get useful warning before a storm approaches.
What typhoon season means for your trip
Typhoon season affects a wide arc of the Asia-Pacific. The most exposed places include the Philippines, Taiwan, southern Japan (especially Okinawa and Kyushu), eastern China, the Korean Peninsula, Vietnam, and the Pacific islands of Guam and the Northern Marianas.
Hotels across Japan and the Philippines rarely close for a passing storm, though exposed coastal resorts may pause operations for a day or two.
Flights and airports
When a typhoon is forecast, airlines often cancel or reschedule flights a day or more ahead, and airports may close for a period while the storm passes. Major carriers such as Japan Airlines and Philippine Airlines typically issue travel waivers that let you rebook without a change fee when a storm hits a route.
Knock-on delays can ripple across the region for a day or two even after the skies clear.
How much warning you get
Typhoons are large, relatively slow-moving systems, and agencies including the JMA, PAGASA and the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center usually forecast their tracks several days out. That lead time is the traveller’s biggest advantage: you can watch the forecast, move flexible bookings, and steer around the worst windows.
Simple ways to plan around it
- Build a buffer day or two into tight itineraries during the peak months.
- Choose flexible or refundable fares where you can, and watch for airline waiver notices.
- Consider travel insurance that covers weather disruption.
- Follow the official agencies, the JMA and PAGASA, for track and warning updates.
Country guides: Japan and the Philippines
This hub covers the season across the whole basin. For country-level detail, including the regions most affected, the local peak months and specific travel advice, see our dedicated guides:
Frequently asked questions
When is the Pacific typhoon season in 2026?
The Northwest Pacific has no official season dates, so storms are possible all year. Most form between May and October, and the peak runs from about July to October, with the strongest typhoons usually in August and September.
What does bagyo mean?
Bagyo is the word for a typhoon or tropical cyclone in Tagalog and several other Philippine languages. It is why Philippine coverage often refers to a bagyo alongside a storm’s international name.
How are typhoons named in 2026?
Two systems run in parallel. The JMA in Tokyo assigns an international name from a rolling list of 140 contributed by 14 member countries, while PAGASA gives its own local name to any storm in the Philippine Area of Responsibility, so many storms carry two names.
How many typhoons are expected in 2026?
Tropical Storm Risk’s 7 July 2026 update forecasts 28 tropical storms, 19 typhoons and 12 intense typhoons for the Northwest Pacific season, roughly 40% above the long-term average. TSR called it an exceptionally active season, driven mainly by a strong El Niño event. Seasonal forecasts are estimates and can change.
Should I cancel travel to Asia during typhoon season?
Usually there is no need. Most trips during typhoon season go ahead as planned, typhoons are forecast days in advance, they affect specific areas at a time, and airlines issue waivers when a storm hits a route. Build in a little flexibility and follow the official forecasts.
Plan your trip around the 2026 typhoon season
The 2026 Pacific typhoon season is shaping up to be an active one, and it is very manageable for travellers who plan ahead. Know the peak months, follow the JMA and PAGASA, and keep your bookings flexible.
Compare flights and hotels and book with flexibility on Wego.
Sources
- Japan Meteorological Agency — Names of Tropical Cyclones (RSMC Tokyo Typhoon Center)
- PAGASA — Philippine Tropical Cyclone Names
- Inquirer.net — PAGASA unveils 2026 cyclone names, from Ada to Zeny
- Rappler — List of Philippine tropical cyclone (bagyo) names in 2026
- Rappler — Super Typhoon Bavi gets local name Inday even before entry into PAR
- Wikipedia — Typhoon Bavi (2026)
- Tropical Storm Risk — Extended Range Forecast for Northwest Pacific Typhoon Activity in 2026 (May 2026)
- Reuters (via WHBL) — Typhoon activity to run 40% above average this year, TSR says (9 July 2026)
- Insurance Journal — Typhoon Season in Northwest Pacific Seen Most Active in a Decade
- Weather.com — July update: NOAA sees a strengthening, potentially historic El Niño
Disclaimer: We’ve worked hard to make sure the information in this article is as accurate and up to date as possible at the time of publishing. Travel details such as prices, schedules, visa rules, and entry requirements can change at short notice, so it remains your responsibility to verify the current details with official sources before you book or travel. Wego accepts no liability for any loss or inconvenience arising from the use of this content.
