‍‍‍‍`Very dangerous‍‍‍‍` Super Typhoon Bavi nears US Pacific islands

Residents of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands rushed to evacuation centres and secured homes on Sunday as Super Typhoon Bavi approached the US Pacific territories with destructive winds and life-threatening storm surges.

Forecasters said the powerful storm is expected to strike early Monday with sustained winds of up to 260 km/h (160 mph) and gusts reaching 315 km/h, making it equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane.

The US National Weather Service warned that Bavi could cause catastrophic damage, bringing violent winds, torrential rain, flash flooding and dangerous coastal inundation across the region.

Authorities also warned of waves as high as 10.7 metres (35 feet), creating hazardous conditions at sea and along coastal communities.

In Guam, residents spent the day boarding up homes and businesses, while emergency shelters opened for people living in vulnerable structures. Officials urged anyone in unsafe housing to seek shelter immediately, saying the opportunity to evacuate was rapidly closing.

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deployed emergency response teams and stocked the region with food, drinking water, generators and other essential supplies ahead of the storm.

Rota, a small island between Guam and Saipan, is expected to be among the areas closest to the typhoon‍‍`s path. Local officials called on residents to follow evacuation orders and prepare for severe weather.

The approaching storm comes just months after Super Typhoon Sinlaku battered the region, leaving widespread damage, prolonged power outages and several deaths after a cargo ship capsized during the storm.

Scientists say warmer ocean temperatures are helping tropical cyclones become more powerful. The development of El Niño conditions in the Pacific is also expected to influence weather patterns and could contribute to stronger storms in the coming months.