Strongest storm on planet bearing down on U.S. islands in Western Pacific
A super typhoon is approaching the American islands in the Pacific.
Super Typhoon Sinlaku grew into the strongest storm on the planet this year on Sunday, packing winds of up to 180 mph and gusts as high as 220 mph as it moved toward the U.S.-held island chain in the western Pacific. For the approximately 50,000 people living in Rota, Tinian and Saipan, the next 48 hours could be disastrous.
Enhanced infrared satellite image of Super Typhoon Sinlaku at sunrise Monday. (NOAA)
The Northern Mariana Islands are an unincorporated U.S. territory about 6,000 miles west of San Francisco, closer to Tokyo than Honolulu. The people living there are American citizens and they are about to be directly affected by a storm equivalent to a strong Category 4 or Category 5 hurricane.
Typhoon Sinlaku is likely near its peak on Sunday evening Pacific time. Some weakening is expected before closest approach, but models still predict sustained winds of 155 to 160 mph when the storm reaches the Marianas late Monday into Tuesday.
Forecast guidance has shifted the storm further north over the past 24 hours. The latest models show a passage between Rota and Saipan, near or directly above Tinian. Small changes to the final route will determine which islands will receive the eyewall and the strongest winds.
Super Typhoon Sinlaku’s forecast tracking shows it will make a direct hit on the Northern Mariana islands of Rota and Tinan on Tuesday morning. A change in forecast track puts the worst impacts north of Guam. (CIMSS)
Typhoon warnings are in effect for Rota, Tinian and Saipan, while Guam, home to major US military installations, is under a tropical storm warning. United Airlines and regional carrier Micronesian Air Connection canceled flights through midweek. Schools and government offices on the islands were closed on Sunday and shelters were opened.
The dangers extend far beyond the wind. The National Weather Service expects 15 to 20 inches of rain for Guam and Rota and 8 to 15 inches for Tinian and Saipan from Monday through Thursday.
Sinlaku is a large storm and can spread up to 400 miles wide, meaning heavy rain will fall farther from the center. Especially in places where rain bands stop in mountainous terrain, flash floods, rapid flows and landslides are possible. Dangerous surf is expected to rise to around 15 meters on exposed reefs; Storm surge also increases coastal flooding and beach erosion in the second half of the week.
This article was first published at: The strongest storm on the planet is heading towards US islands in the Western Pacific.
