Howling winds and lashing rains battered Guam and the Northern Marianas late Sunday as the region prepared for the arrival of Super Typhoon Bavi. The tropical cyclone is barreling through the Pacific Ocean and is forecast to reach landfall on Monday morning.
Experts say the storm could bring the equivalent force of a category-5 hurricane. Super Typhoon Bavi is forecast to roar westwards over the area early Monday with maximum sustained winds of up to 280 kilometres (173 miles) per hour and gusts of 333 kmh, with other projections indicating winds in excess of 160mph or over 180 miles per hour.
Residents of the Northern Mariana Islands, remote U.S. territories in the Pacific Ocean, are preparing for the system as it passes near the territories. In addition to the extreme winds, the storm is forecast to bring waves nearly 11m high when it makes landfall.