Super Typhoon Sinlaku is barreling toward several remote U.S. islands in the Pacific Ocean, bringing heavy rain and tropical storm-force wind gusts before its arrival. The typhoon is expected to make landfall late Tuesday local time in the Northern Mariana Islands, according to multiple reports.
Key Takeaways
Super Typhoon Sinlaku is approaching the Northern Mariana Islands with sustained winds of up to 173 mph (278 kph), expected to make landfall late Tuesday. Residents are warned of widespread rain, flooding, and destructive winds that could cause lengthy power outages.
- Super Typhoon Sinlaku is closing in on the remote Mariana Islands in the northern Pacific Ocean, bringing destructive winds and heavy rains.
- The storm was approximately 68 nautical miles southeast of Saipan at midday Tuesday local time (02:00 GMT), moving at about 14 km/hour (9 mph).
- Guam will avoid a direct hit but expects high winds and dangerous sea conditions until Thursday.
- Australia pledged $1.75 million in assistance to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands after Tropical Cyclone Maila caused significant damage.
The National Weather Service has warned of widespread rain, flooding, and destructive winds that could cause lengthy power outages. Guam, a U.S. territory with about 170,000 residents and several American military installations, is expected to see damaging winds but not take a direct hit. The typhoon had sustained winds of 173 mph (278 kph) on Monday as it neared the islands of Rota, Tinian, and Saipan.
According to CBS News, Sinlaku's maximum sustained winds stabilized at 175 mph after peaking at 180 mph on Sunday. The storm is expected to weaken slightly over the next few days but should cross near the islands as a Category 4 or 5 typhoon. Residents have been advised to prepare for thunderstorms, heavy rain, and extremely strong winds.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has dispatched almost 100 staff members along with personnel from other agencies to support emergency services. President Donald Trump approved emergency disaster declarations for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands on Saturday, allowing additional help with emergency services. FEMA's response comes amid a record-long Department of Homeland Security shutdown.
The storm was approximately 68 nautical miles (126km) southeast of the island of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands at about midday on Tuesday local time (02:00 GMT), and is moving at a slow pace of about 14 km/hour (9 mph). Guam remains under both a tropical storm warning and a typhoon watch, with warnings that storm conditions will continue into Wednesday. The island’s residents have been advised to stay out of the water due to dangerous sea conditions expected to last until Thursday.
Before turning towards Guam and the Northern Marianas, the storm left significant damage to the outer islands and atolls of Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia. Australia this week pledged $1.75 million in assistance to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Maila, which triggered floods and landslides that killed at least 11 people.
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