Category 5 Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall on the tiny US territory of Rota in the western Pacific near Guam on Monday, battering the Northern Mariana Islands with destructive winds, torrential rain and life-threatening conditions.“Hang tight. We’re coming just out of the peak of conditions. It’s going to be a slow improvement, but improvement is coming,” National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Brandon Aydlett said.The storm also lashed other parts of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, where communities were still recovering from another destructive cyclone, Super Typhoon Sinlaku, that struck in April.On Saipan, the international airport recorded wind gusts exceeding 161 kmph (100 mph), the NWS said. Many residents of Saipan and neighbouring Tinian had already been without power since Sinlaku.According to NWS meteorologist Edwin Montvila, Bavi packed sustained winds of up to 290 kmph (180 mph) and gusts reaching 346 kmph (215 mph), making it one of the strongest storms to strike the region.Typhoon and flash flood warnings remained in effect for Rota, Guam, Saipan and Tinian, while tropical storm warnings and watches covered several other islands. Forecasters warned Bavi could dump at least 51 cm (20 inches) of rain before moving away.A cyclone is classified as a super typhoon when its maximum sustained winds reach at least 241 kmph (150 mph), equivalent to a high-end Category 4 or Category 5 hurricane.Montvila warned that Bavi posed an “imminent danger to life”, urging residents to stay indoors, move to interior rooms and avoid windows.“Entering outside can result in death from flying projectiles. Utility poles and associated power lines will be down,” he said.Although Bavi was moving faster than Sinlaku, its large size meant tropical storm-force winds and heavy rainfall were expected to continue across the islands through at least Monday night.Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero urged residents to remain at home or in designated shelters.“Here we are experiencing another severe force of winds on our island, but as we know, we are always ready and prepared in our planning and our protection of our people,” she said in a video posted on social media.The Rev. Francis Hezel of Santa Barbara Catholic Church in Dededo said powerful winds had howled outside his home since before dawn. He expressed hope that the storm would not cause widespread destruction, noting that most homes on Guam are built with reinforced concrete.“By this time, people are used to typhoons,” Hezel said. “They know what they have to do to prepare for them.”
