Pacific Islands threatened by "catastrophic" typhoon

TT

Published 22.31

 

A satellite image of Typhoon Bavi moving across the Pacific Ocean this weekend. Photo: US Weather Agency//AP/TT

A number of islands in the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean are threatened by a severe storm that is expected to move into the area during Monday.

Strong winds and whipping rain have already hit Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. But within a few hours a typhoon - with a strength equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, the highest on the scale - is expected to hit with full force.

Typhoon Bavi, described as "catastrophic" by the US National Weather Service NWS, has wind gusts of up to 97 meters per second.

The NWS believes that the island of Rota, with about 1,500 inhabitants, is particularly hard hit. The island is the southernmost in the Northern Mariana Islands.

Following the weather warnings, traffic on the roads of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands – which together have a population of about 210,000 – was sparse on Sunday.

Police were out and about urging people to be careful.