‘Super Typhoon’ Mawar is heading towards the Pacific island of Guam, threatening to smash into US territory as the strongest storm in more than 60 years.
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The typhoon, which has strengthened in recent days, now poses a ‘triple threat’ of disaster with strong winds equivalent to a category five typhoon.
In addition to its deadly winds, meteorologists are citing exceptional storm surge and torrential rain, according to the National Weather Service office in Guam.
Tropical Storm Maar will be “one to remember for decades,” said Landon Aitlett, coordinator of Guam’s Weather Service.
According to Mr Aitlett, the typhoon is expected to hit the island, making landfall after midnight. If it hits land directly, the island will be battered by the storm’s strong winds.
Although the U.S. island of Guam is located in the western Pacific Ocean, it is prone to some of the world’s most intense tropical storms, although this force is rare.
In fact, it would only be produced almost eight times in the last 75 years.
The U.S. territory of Guam is about 30 miles long, so moving the storm’s center across the island is quick and can cause damage.
May strengthen further on Tuesday. The cyclone is equivalent to a category five hurricane with winds of 250 kilometers per hour.
If it makes landfall, Mawar will be the fifth tropical storm to hit the planet so far this year.
Cyclone and typhoon season is just getting started, with global storm averages reaching their peak in May.
It was the strongest storm to hit Guam, considered the worst to hit the island since Super Typhoon Karen hit Guam in 1962.
Damage to prevent
A Category 5 wind gust could cause significant damage to buildings not reinforced with concrete, forecasters warned.
Significant damage is also possible to roofs and flying projectiles thrown into the air by high winds.
According to one estimate, “power and water may be without power for days or weeks after the storm passes, and most trees will be cut or uprooted”.
According to the Guam Weather Service, up to 70% of the island’s foliage could be stripped.
According to the Nation’s Weather Service, tropical storm-related deaths have historically been the leading cause of hurricane-related deaths in the United States. Widespread flooding and landslides are likely as the storm is expected to drop 10 to 20 inches of rain.
