With winds reaching 190 mph, Typhoon Surigae moves over open waters east of the Philippines, avoiding major land impacts.
Super Typhoon Surigae has set a new record as the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in April. On April 17th, it reached peak sustained winds of 190 mph, making it the earliest and most powerful storm for the month by a significant margin. Despite its intensity, Surigae remained over open waters to the east of the Philippines, sparing the country from direct landfall. However, the typhoon did affect the eastern parts of the Visayas region.
In addition to the Pacific cyclone, the Middle East has been experiencing extreme heat in recent weeks. On April 23rd, temperatures in Kuwait soared to 45.3°C, just 0.3°C shy of the national April record. In Syria, Damascus tied its April high of 38.4°C, and parts of the Libyan desert saw temperatures exceeding 44°C, nearing record highs for this time of year. The intense heat is expected to persist into early May.
Meanwhile, after a relatively calm period for spring storms in the United States, severe thunderstorms erupted on April 23rd, particularly along the Texas/Oklahoma border. The storms brought large hailstones and several tornadoes, signaling a busy storm season ahead, with tornado activity typically peaking in May.
