Super Typhoon Bavi Batters Guam, Northern Marianas with 175 MPH Winds Before Tracking Toward Taiwan

Super Typhoon Bavi slammed Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands on Monday with catastrophic winds and torrential rain, toppling power lines and triggering flash flood warnings across the U.S. Pacific territories.

The cyclone passed directly over Rota in the Northern Marianas at Category 5 intensity, packing maximum sustained winds of 175 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. As of Monday afternoon, no fatalities or injuries had been reported in either territory.

The system maintained its ferocity into Monday evening local time while tracking westward away from the Mariana Islands. Forecasters said the storm would likely remain an extremely dangerous Category 5 super typhoon through at least Wednesday, though some gradual weakening was expected overnight into Tuesday.

Hazardous conditions persist across the island chain despite the storm’s westward movement. A typhoon warning remains active for Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan, and surrounding coastal waters, where winds of 39 mph or greater continued Monday. Tropical storm warnings cover Alamagan, while watches are in effect for Pagan and Agrihan.

Although the threat of sustained damaging winds is diminishing for the northern islands, tropical-storm-force gusts remain possible through Monday, with conditions improving by early Tuesday, the Weather Service said.

A flood watch extends through late Tuesday for Guam, Rota, Saipan, and Tinian. The islands have already absorbed eight to 15 inches of rainfall, with additional precipitation expected through Tuesday as Bavi traverses the region. Heavy showers and thunderstorms could produce flash flooding through Tuesday.

Coastal flood and high surf warnings remain in effect through Thursday for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan. The storm is generating dangerous surf up to 20 feet and coastal inundation of six to eight feet.

Looking ahead, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center projects Bavi will continue a west-northwest track over the next three days, steered by a high-pressure system near Okinawa. The forecast grows more uncertain thereafter, with the typhoon expected to gradually turn north. While one model suggests a sharper turn toward Okinawa, most guidance favors a track passing north of Taiwan—the scenario the JTWC identifies as most probable.

In the near term, Bavi may be entering an eyewall replacement cycle, a natural process where the inner eyewall is replaced by a larger outer ring. This typically causes a temporary dip in peak winds while the storm’s overall structure expands.

Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration forecasts significant weakening as Bavi approaches the island in four to five days, with maximum sustained winds dropping to around 100 mph—upper-end Category 2 strength. Despite the weakening, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center cautions the system will retain “formidable typhoon characteristics” as it moves toward the East China Sea.

The storm has already caused widespread power outages and grounded flights. The Commonwealth Utilities Corporation reported an islandwide blackout on Saipan as Bavi approached Sunday. Guam Power Authority confirmed downed lines and outages Monday, with more expected.

Guam, home to roughly 170,000 residents, activated its highest alert level and opened evacuation shelters ahead of the storm. Authorities also restricted access to U.S. military installations on the island.

As of Monday afternoon, all flights were canceled at major airports in Guam and the Northern Marianas, and operations at several ports were suspended.

Bavi arrives as the region continues recovering from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which inflicted widespread damage in April.

This is a developing story.

Source link