A super typhoon made landfall on US territorial islands in the western Pacific near Guam on Monday, bringing winds of over 150 mph (241 km/h) — equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, according to the US National Weather Service (NWS).

The eye of Super Typhoon Bavi passed over the island of Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands on Monday morning local time, moving west towards the Philippines at about 9 mph (14 km/h).

The NWS urged Rota 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 also affected other parts of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, both US territories still recovering from Super Typhoon Sinlaku in mid-April. The combined population is about 210,000.

Local authorities on Rota reported “major damages,” but the extent remained unclear due to communication difficulties. Typhoon and flash flood warnings were in effect for Guam, Tinian, and Saipan, with tropical storm warnings for other islands.

The NWS said the storm could bring at least 20 inches (51 cm) of rain. Although Bavi moved faster than Sinlaku, tropical storm conditions were expected to persist through at least Monday night.

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

Source: www.aljazeera.com