ESA satellite images show Super Typhoon Champi off the coast of Taiwan
The European Space Agency released a satellite image of Super Typhoon Champi on 30 October 2026. Captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite on 21 October 2026, the false-colour thermal image shows the eye of the storm off the coasts of Taiwan and the Philippines. Champi is the strongest tropical cyclone recorded so far in 2026, with maximum sustained winds reaching 296 kilometres per hour. Its central eye measures approximately 50 kilometres across. The satellite used its Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer to measure heat radiation from the clouds, land, and sea. This data allows scientists and emergency responders to see how storm systems interact with warm ocean waters. The storm caused serious flooding and damage across eastern Taiwan and generated waves up to 10 metres high near its center. These space observations help people track extreme weather events and assess their severity.
What was announced
On 30 October 2026, the European Space Agency published imagery of Super Typhoon Champi captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite. The satellite took the image on 21 October 2026 off the coasts of Taiwan and the Philippines. ESA stated that Champi was the strongest tropical cyclone recorded so far in 2026. It carried maximum sustained winds of 296 kilometres per hour and had an eye roughly 50 kilometres wide.
An instrument on the satellite called the Sea and Land Surface Temperature Radiometer measured thermal radiation to determine cloud and surface temperatures. ESA assigned distinct colors to these heat measurements. Green, white, and light grey areas mark central clouds dropping as low as -70 °C. Purple shades mark clouds between -30 °C and -15 °C. Orange areas mark sea and land surfaces averaging around 25 °C.
What it means
The picture demonstrates how cold storm clouds interact with warm sea surfaces to generate massive tropical cyclones. By measuring heat radiation rather than visible light, the satellite reveals structural details inside the storm that normal cameras cannot see.
This thermal mapping helps illustrate why the storm grew so intense. Champi caused major flooding and destruction in eastern Taiwan while generating waves up to 10 metres high near its center. Satellite data gives authorities clearer evidence of how large weather systems develop over open ocean waters.
What the announcement does not tell us
The release does not specify the exact financial cost of the destruction in Taiwan. It also does not state how many people were injured, displaced, or killed by the flooding and high waves.
While the document mentions wave heights near the storm center, it omits details about how long the storm lasted or where it moved after 21 October 2026. Finally, the announcement does not explain if Sentinel-3 data was used in real time to issue emergency evacuations before the storm hit land.
How this was written
This analysis was written with AI from the official announcement below, using only facts that announcement states. The quoted wording is ESA Space News’s own. Always check the original before acting on anything here.
Image: This image of Super Typhoon Champi from Copernicus Sentinel-3 was captured on 21 October 2026 off the coasts of Taiwan and the Philippines.
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