Vietnam's National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said on June 22 that Typhoon Mekhala had intensified further over the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Mekhala's projected path (Photo: NCHMF).
At 1 pm, maximum sustained winds near the storm's centre had reached Category 15 strength, with gusts exceeding Category 17. The typhoon was located about 550 kilometres east of Luzon Island in the Philippines.
Forecasters said the storm was moving mainly west-northwest at around 15 kilometres per hour and could strengthen to Category 16 within the next 12 to 24 hours, with gusts exceeding Category 17.
Under Vietnam's wind classification system, a Category 16 storm is considered a super typhoon.
After reaching peak intensity, Mekhala is forecast to turn northward before curving to the northeast and moving towards waters south of Japan, where it is expected to gradually weaken.
Vietnamese meteorological authorities said they are closely monitoring the storm's development.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), maximum sustained winds near the centre of the typhoon had reached 250 kilometres per hour by 3 pm on June 22, with stronger gusts recorded.
The agency said Mekhala was likely to continue strengthening in the coming hours and showed no signs of moving into Vietnam's East Sea.
Mekhala is the seventh named storm to form in the northwestern Pacific basin during the 2026 typhoon season.