Super Typhoon Bavi makes landfall on US Pacific islands

A “super typhoon” has made landfall on United States territorial islands in the western Pacific near Guam, with authorities saying they have received reports of significant damage as powerful winds and torrential rain hit the Northern Mariana Islands.

The eye of Super Typhoon Bavi passed over the island of Rota on Monday morning local time, bringing winds of more than 150mph (241km/h), equivalent to a category-five hurricane, according to the US National Weather Service (NWS).

It was travelling at about 9mph (14km/h) west towards the Philippines, the NWS said.

When the storm first hit, the NWS urged Rota’s residents on social media to “treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior room or shelter NOW”.

The storm affected other parts of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, both US territories. The area is still recovering from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which struck in mid-April.

The Northern Marianas and Guam are collectively home to about 210,000 people.

Local authorities on Rota – the southernmost part of the Northern Marianas, less than 80km (50 miles) north of Guam – said they had received reports of “major damages”, but the extent remained unclear due to difficult communications.

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 at least 20 inches (51cm) of rain to the region.

While Bavi passed through the region at a faster pace than Sinlaku, the islands could still face tropical storm conditions until at least Monday night, the NWS said.

In a video posted on social media on Sunday, Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero urged people to stay home or at a shelter.