Super Typhoon Maximus

Super Typhoon Maximus was an extremely violent and large tropical cyclone that caused widespread destruction along its path, starting from October 6 up until October 13. The 38th depression, 9th typhoon and 3rd super typhoon of the 2020³ Pacific typhoon season, it was the strongest typhoon in decades to strike mainland Japan; and one of the largest typhoons ever recorded at a peak diameter of 825 nautical miles (950 mi; 1529 km). The system produced an accumulated cyclone energy reading of 789, making it the most intense in the 2020³ Pacific typhoon season, and the most intense cyclone in terms of ACE generated in modern records. Maximus developed from a tropical wave located a couple hundred miles north of the Marshall Islands on October 2. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued a red tropical cyclone formation alert - noting that the disturbance could undergo rapid intensification upon being identified as a tropical depression. On the next day, October 3, both the Japanese Meteorological Agency and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center began issuing advisories on Tropical Depression 20W. The depression stayed at the same intensity as it travelled west toward the Mariana Islands on October 4, but on October 5, 20W began undergoing rapid intensification and early that day, the system was issued with the name "Maximus" by the JMA, which means speed in Filipino. Sea surface temperatures and wind shear became extremely favourable for tropical cyclogenesis and Maximus underwent explosive intensification on October 6, and became a category 10 typhoon in under 12 hours. Edging closer to the uninhabited areas of the Mariana Islands, Maximus displayed excellent convection as well as a well defined circulation. The system developed a pinhole eye, which limited its ability to intensify further; and it made landfall on the northern Mariana Islands, at peak intensity with 10-minute sustained winds of 343 knots (395 mph; 636 km/h) and a central pressure of 815 hPa (24.06 inHg). Land interaction did not affect Maximus too much, but as the system continued to mature, it underwent an eyewall replacement cycle, which is usual for all tropical cyclones of a similar intensity. The inner eyewall was robbed of its needed moisture and Maximus began to weaken, but it formed a large and cloud-filled eye, which then became clear and it reached its second peak. Travelling toward Japan, Maximus encountered high vertical wind shear and its inner eyewall began to degrade, and the outer eyewalls rapidly eroded as its center began to be exposed. On October 12, Maximus made landfall on Japan at 19:00 p.m JST (10:00 UTC) on the Izu Peninsula near Shizuoka. Then, an hour later at 20:00 p.m. JST, (11:00 UTC), Maximus made its second landfall on Japan in the Greater Tokyo Area. Wind shear was now at 60 knots (69 mph; 111 km/h), and Maximus' structure became torn apart as it sped at 34 knots (39 mph; 63 km/h) north-northeast toward more hostile conditions. On October 13, Maximus became an extratropical low and the JMA and JTWC issued their final advisories on the system.