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Super Typhoon Bavi makes landfall on US Pacific islands with huge wind gusts
BBC • • nation
Key Points:
- Super Typhoon Bavi, with winds nearing 290 km/h and gusts up to 350 km/h, is impacting the western Pacific islands, including a direct hit on Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands, according to the US National Weather Service (NWS).
- Residents are evacuating to emergency shelters, with Guam opening five centers primarily for vulnerable populations; some shelters have already reached full capacity.
- The NWS warns that typhoon-force winds will persist until early Monday afternoon, with conditions rapidly deteriorating and unsafe outdoor environments expected.
- Scientists link the increasing frequency of powerful typhoons in the region to climate change and a strong El Niño event, noting that Bavi is the 11th category four or five tropical cyclone to hit US territory in the past decade.
- Local businesses, such as a Guam eatery owner, express concern over economic losses and personal safety as they prepare for the storm's impact.
