Super Typhoon Soudelor, the most powerful storm so far this year, is generating waves of close to 15 metres as it barrels towards Taiwan.
Sustained winds were last calculated at 130 knots (241km/h), with gusts reaching 160 knots (296km/h), according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.
US space agency NASA said the storm contained "powerful thunderstorms" and that maximum sustained winds had earlier reached 140 knots (259km/h) - possibly the peak for this event.
The category 5 storm left a trail of destruction in the US territory of Saipan, with Twitter providing an outlet for some of the images.
#Soudelor already hit US island of #Saipan: "State of disaster & significant emergency" declared. (Pic: @RedCross) pic.twitter.com/j5zoTBuw8M— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon)
August 4, 2015
"This super typhoon was generating extremely rough seas, with maximum significant wave height to 48 feet [14.6 metres]!" NASA said.
The typhoon is tracking over mostly open ocean but will near Japan's remote Ishigaki island on Friday before passing over northern Taiwan.
"The storm is predicted to weaken as it continues on its trek to the west-north-west," NASA said.
"Interests in the path of this super typhoon should prepare for storm surge, heavy rainfall, mudslides in high terrain areas and typhoon-force winds."
Infrared imagery indicates the storm contains "powerful thunderstorms", with their tops recording temperatures of minus-63 degrees Celsius as the air climbs, NASA said.
The International Space Station has also captured images of the event as it passed over.
Medical @ISS_Research & Russian spacesuit checks as #ISSCrew flies over #TyphoonSoudelor... http://t.co/euETzoBtDM pic.twitter.com/L9A0eHqRLW— Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station)
August 4, 2015
South Pacific cyclone
A rare tropical cyclone for this time of the year also formed north-east of Vanuatu this week.
Dubbed only "1P", the storm brought rain to parts of the island nation that is still recovering from a direct hit from Cyclone Pam, a category 5 event, earlier this year.
South Pacific cyclones are very unusual for this time of the year, and Australia's eastern region has already recorded one - Cyclone Raquel - in July. That event formed over the Solomon Islands.
The cyclones, typhoons and other tropical depressions are likely to contribute to the El Nino weather system now strengthening in the central and eastern Pacific, meteorologists said.