DistantNews
Support us
🇳🇿 New Zealand /Disasters & Emergencies

Super Typhoon Bavi Threatens Pacific Islands with 'Life-Threatening' Winds

From RNZ Pacific · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Super Typhoon Bavi, with sustained winds over 250 km/h, is a life-threatening storm approaching the western Pacific.
  • The storm became a Category 5 Super Typhoon early Saturday and is expected to make landfall Monday morning, with hazardous seas beginning Saturday afternoon.
  • Residents in the Mariana Islands, including Guam and Saipan, are urged to prepare urgently for severe impacts, with warnings of potential widespread devastation.

A life-threatening Super Typhoon, Bavi, is rapidly intensifying as it barrels across the western Pacific, prompting urgent warnings for residents in its path. With sustained wind speeds exceeding 250 km/h, the storm poses a serious threat to life and property. It officially became a Category 5 Super Typhoon early Saturday, and is forecast to make landfall Monday morning, though hazardous seas are expected to develop as early as Saturday afternoon.

Patrick Bowsher of the Guam National Weather Service described the storm as strengthening significantly and posing a serious threat. "With these wind speeds pretty much anything that is not really heavy, anything that's loose, any debris anything like that is just going to get picked up and thrown around very easily," he stated. The US National Weather Service in Guam has warned people to "prepare today" for the storm's impact.

With these wind speeds pretty much anything that is not really heavy, anything that's loose, any debris anything like that is just going to get picked up and thrown around very easily.

— Patrick BowsherPatrick Bowsher of the Guam National Weather Service described the severity of Typhoon Bavi's winds.

Bavi is expected to affect all of the Mariana Islands, from Guam to Saipan, though the intensity of the impact will vary based on proximity to the storm's eye. "Prepare today for the protection of life and property," the National Weather Service urged. Residents across Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) are advised to plan for and anticipate at least tropical storm conditions, with islands closest to the storm's path or potential direct hit facing much stronger conditions.

The current forecast track indicates Bavi could shift slightly north towards Saipan or south towards Guam in the coming days. Officials are urging residents to stay updated on changing conditions. These warnings come as some residents are still recovering from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which caused widespread devastation in April, impacting local infrastructure, the economy, and livestock.

Prepare today for the protection of life and property.

— US National Weather Service in GuamA warning issued by the US National Weather Service in Guam urging residents to prepare for the approaching typhoon.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by RNZ Pacific in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog