Early in the morning (local time), the eye of “Bavi” passed directly over the island in Micronesia, which is part of the Northern Mariana Islands.Image: keystone
Jul 6, 2026, 5:36 amJul 6, 2026, 5:36 am
A super typhoon of the highest category hit the Pacific island of Rota with full force. Early in the morning (local time), the eye of “Bavi” passed directly over the island in Micronesia, which is part of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Mariana Islands are a US foreign territory. The US weather service warned of an “extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation”. The authority spoke of “large-scale destructive winds” of more than 240 kilometers per hour.
According to the operations management on the island of Guam, just 50 kilometers away, the storm continues to move west-northwest at around 15 kilometers per hour. The authorities expect severe building damage, fallen trees and widespread power outages. Many people in the region live in simple wooden and corrugated iron houses.
“The situation looks bleak”
National Weather Service meteorologist Landon Aydlett told US broadcaster NPR: “This is a super typhoon of enormous strength, and for any island that takes a direct hit (…) the situation looks very dire.” For Rota it will probably be almost catastrophic. He appealed to the population: “People have to stay where they are.”
Typhoon warnings also remain in effect for the islands of Guam, Tinian and Saipan. Authorities are warning of storm surges, meter-high surf and dangerous flooding. The governor of Guam, Lou Leon Guerrero, called on the population: “Stay in your homes, stay off the roads and stay away from the water.”
Memories of Storm Sinlaku
The situation is particularly tense because many people in the Northern Mariana Islands are still suffering from the consequences of Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which devastated the region in April. According to the weather service, emergency shelters in many places are almost at capacity. Some people had to be turned away on Saipan and Tinian. Even before the storm center arrived, power outages, flights were canceled and port operations were suspended on Guam. (sda/dpa)