- Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall on the US island of Rota in the Pacific , causing widespread destruction and prompting life-threatening warnings across the Northern Marianas and Guam .
- The National Weather Service reported that the storm's western eyewall passed directly over Rota with winds exceeding 150 miles per hour, and maximum sustained winds of 180 miles per hour were recorded.
- Authorities had warned that a direct hit could render most of Rota "uninhabitable for weeks, perhaps longer," with significant damage to homes, trees, and power infrastructure.
- Rota's public information officer, Lou Rosario, confirmed major damage and disruption to cell phone services, while residents were urged to stay indoors due to the risk of flying projectiles.
- Bavi is forecast to maintain super typhoon intensity as it moves west-northwest towards the Philippines and potentially Taiwan, with the storm's intensity linked to warmer oceans and the ongoing El Niño phenomenon.
IN FULL
Super typhoon Bavi hits US island of Rota causing ‘catastrophic’ damage