Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall on Monday, over a tiny U.S. territorial island in the western Pacific near Guam, bringing powerful winds and torrential rain to the Northern Mariana Islands.
The eye of the storm passed over the island of Rota Monday morning local time, bringing winds of more than 150 mph (241 kph), according to the National Weather Service.
It was traveling at around 9 mph (14 kph) west toward the Philippines, the weather service said.
“Hang tight,” National Weather Service meteorologist Brandon Aydlett said. “We’re coming just out of the peak of conditions. It’s going to be a slow improvement, but improvement is coming.”
The storm impacted other parts of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory, as well as Guam. The area was still recovering from typhoon Sinlaku that struck in April.
Bavi was a Category 5 super typhoon with winds that could reach 180 mph (290 kph) per hour and gusts of 215 mph (346 kph) per hour, said weather service meteorologist Edwin Montvila.
In addition to Rota, typhoon and flash flood warnings were in effect for Guam, Tinian and Saipan, while tropical storm warnings and watches were in place for other islands in the area.
The weather service said the storm could bring a total of at least 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain by the time it passes through the region.
A cyclone becomes a super typhoon when it has maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 kph) or stronger. That’s equivalent to a high-end Category 4 or a Category 5 storm.
Bavi posed an “imminent danger to life,” Montvila said, with the weather service telling residents across the islands to move to interior rooms and stay away from windows.
“Entering outside can result in death from flying projectiles. Utility poles and associated power lines will be down,” Montvila said.
Bavi passed through the region at a faster pace than Sinlaku, the weather service said. But because of the size of the storm, the islands could still face tropical storm conditions, including torrential rains, through at least Monday night.
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