Residents in Guam Urged to Shelter as Super Typhoon Bavi Approaches

Residents of Guam and nearby U.S. island territories in the Pacific were advised to seek shelter with Super Typhoon Bavi expected to make landfall early Monday. This warning comes as the region continues recovering from a severe storm earlier this year.

Super Typhoon Bavi, a massive cyclone approaching the Mariana Islands near the Philippines, is forecasted to hit Rota early Monday morning. Edwin Montvila, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, stated that Rota, home to fewer than 2,000 people northeast of Guam, is already experiencing catastrophic winds. An extreme wind warning applies to the island. The cyclone is expected to be a Category 5 super typhoon, with winds possibly reaching 180 miles per hour and gusts hitting 215 miles per hour.

According to a satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Typhoon Bavi was nearing Guam on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Typhoon warnings are in place for Guam, Tinian, and Saipan, with tropical storm warnings and watches for other islands in the vicinity.

This storm follows Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which hit the region in April with strong winds and heavy rain, marking the strongest tropical cyclone of the year. A cyclone achieves super typhoon status with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph or stronger.

Bavi presents an “imminent danger to life,” Montvila emphasized. The weather service urges residents across the islands to move to interior rooms, avoiding windows. “Going outside could result in death from flying debris. Downed utility poles and power lines pose additional risks,” Montvila noted. “Stay indoors and hunker down,” he advised.

Bavi was moving quickly on Monday morning, suggesting the storm might pass swiftly. However, due to the storm’s size, the islands could encounter tropical storm conditions, including heavy rain, through at least Monday night. The typhoon exhibited some erratic behavior overnight, shifting north and south as it progressed west toward the islands.

Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero urged residents to remain home or seek shelter and to avoid roads. “We face another forceful wind on our island, but we are prepared and ready,” she said in a video posted on social media Sunday.