The JTWC upgraded it to super typhoon status on October 18, while the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) estimated peak 10-minute sustained winds of 195 km/h (121 mph).

On Guam and in the Northern Marianas Islands, Francisco produced tropical storm force wind gusts, strong enough to knock over some trees and cause $150,000 (2013 USD) in damage.

In Kagoshima Prefecture, 3,800 homes lost power, while an island-wide evacuation advisory was issued for Izu Ōshima after Typhoon Wipha spawned a deadly mudslide a week prior.

[1] At 12:00 UTC on October 15, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)[nb 1] estimated that a tropical depression developed about 450 km (280 mi) east of Guam.

Its circulation consolidated as the thunderstorm activity organized, aided by warm sea surface temperatures and decreasing wind shear.

[3] As a quickly organizing tropical cyclone, Francisco developed an eye-like feature late on October 16 in the center of the convection, as outflow improved and an anticyclone formed aloft.

[3] Francisco slowed its forward motion as steering currents weakened,[7] with a north-northwest drift beginning on October 17 due to an extension of the subtropical ridge.

[8] By later that day, the typhoon had a well-defined eye 28 km (17 mi) across and surrounded by deep convection, while passing west of Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands.

[3] On October 19, the JTWC upgraded Francisco to peak 1‑minute winds of 260 km/h (160 mph), the equivalent of a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale; by that time, the eyewall contracted to just 19 km (12 mi) in diameter.

[12] After maintaining its peak intensity for about 36 hours, Francisco began weakening,[3] after the eye lost definition due to building wind shear.

[14] That day, the typhoon entered the area of responsibility of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), which gave Francisco the local name Urduja;[15] the agency would cease issuing advisories on October 23.

[27][28] The looming storm also forced the Japanese refiner company Nansei Sekiyu KK to suspend some marine operations at its facility on Okinawa.