Super Typhoon Bavi crossed the Mariana Islands in the western Pacific Ocean on Monday, lashing Guam, Tinian, and Saipan and blasting Rota with catastrophic winds, the US National Weather Service reported. The Category 5 storm moved through the island chain, parts of which are the US commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the US territory of Guam, about 3,800 miles (6,116 km) west of Hawaii and 1,550 miles east of the Philippines.
Eyewall Landfall and Destructive Winds
The weather service said Bavi's eyewall was expected to make landfall at Rota shortly after dawn local time, with "catastrophically destructive" winds up to 180 miles per hour (290 kph). Gusts to 215 mph were possible. Rota, the southernmost island in the Northern Mariana Islands, has a population of about 2,000.
Conditions Across the Islands
The islands of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan were expected to see conditions ranging from severe tropical storm to typhoon on Monday before winds began easing. The weather service said Bavi was producing intense showers, with 12 to 20 inches (30 to 51 cm) of rain possible near the storm's centre, raising the risk of flash flooding through Tuesday night.
Strategic Defense Hub
The US islands are a strategic defence hub in the western Pacific, hosting US military training facilities and bases, including Andersen Air Force Base, Naval Base Guam, and Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz. Guam opened evacuation centres across the territory.
Governor's Urgent Appeal
In a video on Facebook on Sunday, Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero urged residents to avoid travel and stay inside, adding that the administration was "ready and prepared in our planning and our protection of our people."
