Typhoon Mawar arrived Wednesday in the territory of Guam, where residents are suffering from devastating winds and torrential rains in one of the worst storms in recent memory on the Pacific island.
The parking lot at my apartment a little while ago as the eye of #super #typhoon #mawar slams #Guam. Lots of us have relocated to the basement. All the units totally flooded, several windows blown out, and the building is shuddering from the wind. pic.twitter.com/IoBSuoTBA2
— Ginger Cruz (@gingercruz) May 24, 2023
The tropical cyclone became a dangerous Category 4 storm, becoming the strongest cyclone to hit the island in 21 years. Winds reached 225 km (139 miles) per hour, according to the specialized tracking tool Windy.
Typhoon #MAWAR strikes #Guam as a powerful category 4 storm, becoming the strongest cyclone in 21 years to hit the island. Winds are currently 225 km per hour. -> https://t.co/pdv0CXr3SQ
The satellite view shows the typhoon's eye directly crossing the island.⬇️ pic.twitter.com/icYBDAQ38q
— Windy.com (@Windycom) May 24, 2023
Northern Guam, which is taking the brunt of the winds, will remain on alert throughout Wednesday. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the entire island as experts expected up to 64 centimeters (25 inches) of rain in addition to a storm surge of between 1.2 and 2 meters (4 to 6 feet).
The typhoon could gain strength and reach category 5, the strongest on the scale. Guam has not suffered a direct hit from a Category 5 storm since 1962. The island has a population of over 150,000 and is home to three military bases.
Starting to daylight - some of the strongest gusts of the storm so far hitting now. #typhoon #mawar is moving really slowly near #Guam so expecting hours more like this pic.twitter.com/H46CbdYSGU
— James Reynolds (@EarthUncutTV) May 24, 2023