Evacuations Underway in Guam Ahead of Super Typhoon Bavi Landfall

Emergency evacuations are underway in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands as super typhoon Bavi approaches the US Pacific territories. The US National Weather Service forecast landfall early Monday morning with winds of up to 257 km/h. It warned of catastrophic damage and significant flooding from torrential rains, with waves potentially reaching nearly 11 m high.

Bavi is expected to pass directly over the islands by Monday afternoon, with destructive conditions lasting eight to 10 hours before or after the storm's centre arrives. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center classified Bavi as a super typhoon, defined as having winds in excess of 130 knots, and predicted 150 knots over the islands with gusts up to 180 knots.

Guam has opened five evacuation centres in schools with a maximum capacity of around 1,700 people.

At 13:00 local time on Sunday, one site reached capacity and people were redirected, the island's civil defence office said. Pinky Cubacub, 55, spent $500 on plywood to board up windows at her eatery. "I cannot afford to lose so many days.

It hurts," she said. Japanese tourist Miku Sakurai, 25, had her return flight to Tokyo cancelled and planned to stay in her hotel. "We will stay in the hotel when the storm comes. I am scared," she said.

Bavi will be the 11th category four or five tropical cyclone to hit US territory in the past decade. Super typhoon Sinlaku struck Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in April, killing 17 people and causing about $1.5 bn in damage.