Super Typhoon Bavi intensified to Category 5 status by 7am Saturday local time, with sustained winds reaching 257km/h as the storm continues its approach toward Pacific island nations.
At 10:30am Saturday NZT, the typhoon was positioned approximately 770km east of Guam, travelling at approximately 10km/h. Landfall is forecast for Monday morning, with dangerous sea conditions expected to begin Saturday afternoon.
Urgent preparation window
The US National Weather Service in Guam warned residents to prepare urgently on Saturday and anticipate at least tropical storm conditions. Patrick Bowsher of the Guam National Weather Service described the storm as strengthening in intensity and posing a serious threat to life.
"With these wind speeds pretty much anything that is not really heavy, anything that's loose, any debris anything like that is just going to get picked up and thrown around very easily," Bowsher said.
Uncertainty over track
Bavi is forecast to affect the Marianas chain, with all islands from Guam to Saipan facing varying levels of impact depending on how close each lies to the storm's centre.
The forecast track could shift northward toward Saipan or southward toward Guam in coming days, adding uncertainty to which areas will face the most severe conditions.
Context from earlier storm
Some residents in the region remain without electricity following Super Typhoon Sinlaku in April.
What comes next
Hazardous conditions are expected to begin Saturday afternoon, leaving residents across the Marianas limited time to secure property and complete storm preparations.