Super Typhoon Bavi is making landfall on U.S. Pacific islands, bringing extremely high winds and prompting evacuations and last-minute preparations.
The storm, with sustained winds of nearly 290 km/h (180 mph) and gusts reaching 350 km/h (217 mph), is forecast to cause catastrophic damage. The island of Rota, in the Northern Mariana Islands, is expected to bear a direct hit. Local authorities have issued advisories warning residents of "destructive winds" and that conditions will deteriorate rapidly, making it unsafe to be outdoors.
In Guam, a popular tourist destination with approximately 170,000 residents, five evacuation centers have been opened in schools. These facilities have a combined capacity of around 1,700 people and are primarily designated for vulnerable individuals. By Sunday afternoon local time, one of these sites had reached its maximum capacity, and residents were being redirected to alternative locations.
Forecasts indicate that winds will remain at typhoon force until early Monday afternoon and below tropical storm force only after midnight. The storm's approach has led to widespread preparations, including boarding up businesses with plywood.
This event marks the second super typhoon to threaten the U.S. Pacific territories this year, following an earlier storm in April.