Typhoon Mawar – live: Storm ‘reintensifies’ to category 5 as it heads for Philippines after battering Guam

Mawar has “re-intensified” into a super typhoon as it now heads to the Philippines, the state’s weather service said after a brief weakening of the storm after it passed over Guam.

The cyclone is currently packing winds of up to 185km per hour near the centre and gusts of up to 230kph as it moves west-northwestward, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The typhoon passed through Guam yesterday which successfully weathered the storm, believed to be the strongest storm in years to hit the Western Pacific Island.

Mawar made landfall at local time 9pm but the island was battered by heavy rains and powerful winds of up to 240 kph for hours yesterday, that uprooted trees, blew away roofs, and brought the US territory to a standstill.

According to the Guam Power Authority, nearly all of the island’s 52,000 homes and businesses experienced power outages, with only 1,000 retaining electricity.

There are no reports of loss of life but damages such as localised flooding, fallen debris, and downed power lines have been reported.

Key points

• Typhoon Mawar ‘reintensifies’ to super typhoon as it heads to Philippines

• Philippines braces for intense rain over weekend

• Residents left with power cut and flood damage as Guam weathers through strongest storm in years

• Typhoon Mawar path: Eye makes landing in Guam before moving towards the Philippines

• ‘The worst has gone by’: Guam governor urges people to remain cautious

Typhoon Mawar ‘reintensifies’ to super typhoon as it heads to Philippines

08:00 , Stuti Mishra

Mawar has “re-intensified” into a super typhoon as it now heads to the Philippines, the state’s weather service said after a brief weakening of the storm after it passed over Guam.

The cyclone is currently packing winds of up to 185km per hour near the centre and gusts of up to 230kph as it moves west-northwestward, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The typhoon passed through Guam yesterday which successfully weathered the storm, believed to be the strongest storm in years to hit the Western Pacific Island.

No deaths reported in Guam

16:15 , Ariana Baio

No deaths or significant injuries were reported in Guam after super Typhoon Mawar hit the island on Wednesday and Thursday, Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said to CNN.

Though the typhoon did leave much of the island damaged with many residents without power or clean water.

As the storm hit Guam, its strength was equivalent to a Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic with sustained winds of 140 miles per hour and gusts of up to 165 miles per hour.

Pictures: Heavy winds, uprooted trees and residents heading for shelters as storm battered Guam

16:00 , Stuti Mishra

What is the difference between a typhoon and a hurricane?

15:30 , Ariana Baio

Typhoons and hurricanes are from the same weather phenomenon known as a tropical cyclone, but the difference in names can sometimes confuse people.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the only difference between a hurricane and a typhoon is the location where the storm occurs.

If the storm is in the North Atlantic, central North Pacific or eastern North Pacific, it is called a hurricane.

If the storm occurs in the Northwest Pacific it is called a typhoon.

But in the South Pacific or Indian Ocean, generally, it is called a tropical cyclone.

WATCH: Video shows winds picking up as Typhoon Mawar made landfall in Guam

15:00 , Stuti Mishra

Identical twin meteorologists guide Guam through Typhoon Mawar

14:30 , Stuti Mishra

As typhoon Mawar aimed its fury at Guam, residents facing terrifying winds and crashing waves from the strongest storm to hit the US Pacific territory in decades had identical twin meteorologists to keep them informed — and to provide the outside world with a glimpse of the chaos unfolding on the remote island.Read more:

Identical twin meteorologists guide Guam through Typhoon Mawar

Typhoon Mawar to be named 'Betty' once it reaches Philippines

14:00 , Stuti Mishra

Typhoon Mawar, which is heading towards the Philippines now after battering Guam, will be given the local name "Betty", once it enters the Philippines Area of Responsibility (PAR), local officials have said.

Mawar is currently packing winds of up to 185 kilometres per hour near the centre and gusts of up to 230 kph as it moves west-northwestward at 15 kph, according to Philippines state weather agency.

It is expected to pass close to the northern Philippines tomorrow night or on Saturday.

Typhoon Mawar now a 'violent typhoon'

13:30 , Stuti Mishra

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has upgraded Mawar into a “Violent Typhoon”, a category stronger than super typhoon.

The agency said the typhoon now has 10-minute sustained winds of 195 kmh with gusts of 280 kmh.

A violent typhoon is the highest category used by the JMA to classify tropical cyclones.

'Like a freight train going on outside': Residents describe overnight horror as Typhoon Mawar passed

13:00 , Stuti Mishra

Residents in Guam were battered by heavy winds and rains all throughout the day yesterday. But as the strongest typhoon to hit the territory crept slowly over the island at night, the horror intensified.

The winds sent solar panels flying, ripped roofs off homes and crumbled part of a hotel's exterior wall to the ground, according to videos posted on social media.

At what felt like its peak intensity, the winds screeched and howled like jets, and water swamped some homes, residents say.

Leah del Mundo, who spent the night with her family in their concrete home in Chalan Pago, in central Guam told The Associated Press they tried to sleep but were awakened "by violent shaking of the typhoon shutters and the whistling strong winds."

"It's not our first rodeo," she told the news agency via text message. "We've been through worse. But we brace ourselves for the cleanup, repairs, restoration afterwards."

Winds peeled back the roof of Enrique Baza's mother's house in Yona, allowing water to damage everything inside.

Enrique Baza

"My mom's house didn't escape," he said, adding that his mother stayed with him in his concrete home during the storm.

He drove around in a pickup truck looking for supplies to repair his mother's roof, but most stores were without power and only accepting cash. Many wooden or tin homes he passed were badly beaten or collapsed.

"It's kind of a shock," he said.

In Tumon, on Guam's northeastern shore, winds tore a granite countertop from a hotel's outdoor bar and tossed it into the air. Guests scrambled to stack chairs to brace the doors, and windows buckled and creaked.

"It was like a freight train going on outside," said Thomas Wooley, who recounted how wind and rain pushed through the aluminium shutters of his family's concrete home overlooking Tumon Bay.

When day broke, he found their outdoor china cabinet toppled and its contents shattered on the ground. A chainsaw-wielding relative helped clear downed branches.

"We've got tons of work to do," Mr Wooley said.

Guam's weather service office in Tiyan said it would shut down operations in the morning for workers to get home to families and assess damage at their homes. Counterparts in the Honolulu office took over their duties.

In photos: Flooded homes, flipped vehicles and shredded trees as Guam residents begin cleanup

12:30 , Stuti Mishra

Nurse speaks up about scene at only public hospital serving the island

12:00 , Stuti Mishra

Mackenzie Miller, a nurse at Guam Memorial Hospital, said on Facebook that she had come for a four-hour recharge after a 12-hour shift before heading back to work.

“We have all been here for 2 days now sleeping here and working. We can’t even see outside because the doors have been blown in and we can’t get close,” Ms Miller wrote.

“But the hospital is flooding everywhere, ceiling is falling down. The flooding is sparking electrical outlets and causing smoke and fires. The wind is so strong and loud it is shaking the entire building so bad.”

Residents describe 'disturbing scene' as Guam picks up pieces after Typhoon Mawar passes

11:30 , Stuti Mishra

Many residents of Guam remain without power and utilities today after Typhoon Mawar tore through the remote US Pacific territory yesterday night.

While the typhoon weakened to category 4, the heavy rains flooded the airport and buildings, gusts of winds ripped roofs off homes, flipped vehicles and shredded trees.

There were minor injuries reported but no fatalities, according to the governor's office.

"We are waking up to a rather disturbing scene out there across Guam. We're looking out our door and what used to be a jungle looks like toothpicks — it looks like a scene from the movie 'Twister,' with trees just thrashed apart," said Landon Aydlett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

"Most of Guam is dealing with a major mess that's gonna take weeks to clean up," he added.

Philippines braces for intense rain over weekend

11:00 , Stuti Mishra

Typhoon Mawar, which has "reintensified" into a category 5 super typhoon, is heading towards the Philippines after weakening as it passed over Guam.

The typhoon is expected to make direct landfall in any part of the country but the Philippine state weather agency says it is not ruling out any possibilities.

The typhoon will likely bring moderate to intense rains over northern areas like Cagayan Valley and extreme northern Luzon over the weekend until Monday, according to the state weather agency.

"As it moves nearer to our area, it’s possible that it may cause huge waves over the eastern seaboard of the country," PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja told the Philippines Star, and "may gradually enhance" the southwest monsoon.

‘The worst has gone by’: Guam governor urges people to remain cautious

10:00 , Stuti Mishra

As typhoon Mawar moved away from Guam, the governor of the US island territory expressed relief but asked residents to remain at home until further government orders.

“I am so glad we are safe. We have weathered this storm,” said Guam’s governor Lou Leon Guerrero in a video message.

While the governor said “the worst has gone by“, she urged residents to remain at home until the government declared the situation safe.

Typhoon Mawar had weakened into a category 4 storm from a super typhoon when it passed through Guam but left the Pacific island territory with widespread damage due to heavy rains and winds.

“It seems that roads are passable, but you should not be on the road,” Ms Guerrero said after touring the island, a US territory that is home to about 170,000 people, including about 10,000 US military personnel.

Before landfall, when Mawar was a super typhoon, she had compared the storm to 1962’s Typhoon Karen, which flattened much of the island.

Residents left with power cut and flood damage as Guam weathers through strongest storm in years

09:00 , Stuti Mishra

Guam successfully weathered the strongest storm in years as typhoon Mawar swept across the Western Pacific Island last night.

Mawar made landfall at local time 9pm but the island was battered by heavy rains and powerful winds of up to 240 kph for hours yesterday, that uprooted trees, blew away roofs, and brought the US territory to a standstill.

According to the Guam Power Authority, nearly all of the island’s 52,000 homes and businesses experienced power outages, with only 1,000 retaining electricity.

Despite the intense conditions, the island managed to avoid significant damage.

There are no reports of unusual incidents in hospital emergency rooms, and the overall impact included moderate damages such as localised flooding, fallen debris, and downed power lines.

Flash floods at Guam’s airport

07:00 , Stuti Mishra

More images and videos of damages caused by Typhoon Marwar are emerging from Guam.

A video posted by a resident shows the Guam International Airport flooded after heavy rains lashed the island.

The airport recorded sustained winds of 71 mph with a gust of 105 mph.

Typhoon Mawar brings lightning and heavy gusts as it passes close to Guam

06:00 , Andrea Blanco

Video by cyclone interceptor James Reynolds shows lightning and havy gusts of wind as Typhoon Mawar passes close to Guam’s northern edge.

The heavy wind and rains have been lashing the US island territory all day, uprooting trees and blowing roofs as residents hunkered down in shelters.

Mawar was projected to pass 11 kilometres northeast of Andersen Air Force Base, close to the village of Yigo on the northern edge of Guam, between 6 and 8 pm.

Typhoon Mawar path: Eye makes landing in Guam before moving towards the Philippines

05:00 , Andrea Blanco

The eye of the storm passed Guam on Wednesday night, but the strongest part could make a catastrophic landing before it moves toward the Philippines.

The Independent has more:

Eye of Typhoon Mawar makes landing in Guam before moving towards the Philippines

WATCH: Hurricane-force winds blast Guam as Typhoon Mawar barrels through Pacific

04:00 , Andrea Blanco

NWS issues extreme winds warning

03:00 , Andrea Blanco

US Military sends ship away from Guam

02:00 , Andrea Blanco

Naval Base Guam has been tracking and preparing for the storm since last week, including sending ships away from the island, a standard precaution, base spokesperson Valerie Maigue told the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said on social media that President Joe Biden’s emergency declaration will support the mobilisation of resources into Guam, which is “especially crucial given our distance from the continental US.”

Mr Guerrero ordered residents of coastal, low-lying and flood-prone areas of the territory of over 150,000 people to evacuate to higher elevations.

Truck blown by extreme winds in Guam

01:00 , Andrea Blanco

Worst storm to strike US Pacific in two decades barrels into Guam

Thursday 25 May 2023 00:00 , Andrea Blanco

Many homes and businesses were left completely without power and water as residents hunkered down inside houses and shelters.

Read the story:

Typhoon Mawar, worst storm to strike US Pacific in two decades, barrels into Guam

Guam Power Authority says only 2 per cent of customers have power

Wednesday 24 May 2023 23:00 , Andrea Blanco

Only one plant on the island is functioning and serving specifically Andersen Air Force Base (AAFB), Camp Blaz Marine Base and a small portion of Dededo village, the Guam Power Authority said in a statement.

Most of the island suffered power outages and only 1,000 of its 52,000 customers still had electricity, according to CNN.

Restoration will begin once the weather conditions are improved.

Flash floods at Guam’s airport

Wednesday 24 May 2023 22:18 , Andrea Blanco

Guam airport flooded as super typhoon hits the island.

WATCH: Rain and winds lash Guam as Typhoon Mawar closes in and residents shelter

Wednesday 24 May 2023 22:01 , Andrea Blanco

Guam residents prepare for Category 4 Typhoon Mawar

Wednesday 24 May 2023 22:00 , Andrea Blanco

Nurse speaks up about scene at only public hospital serving the island

Wednesday 24 May 2023 21:48 , Andrea Blanco

Mackenzie Miller, a nurse at Guam Memorial Hospital, said on Facebook that she had come for a four-hour recharge after a 12-hour shift before heading back to work.

“We have all been here for 2 days now sleeping here and working. We can’t even see outside because the doors have been blown in and we can’t get close,” Ms Miller wrote.

“But the hospital is flooding everywhere, ceiling is falling down. The flooding is sparking electrical outlets and causing smoke and fires. The wind is so strong and loud it is shaking the entire building so bad.”

Typhoon Mawar brings lightning and heavy gusts as it passes close to Guam

Wednesday 24 May 2023 21:30 , Andrea Blanco

Video by cyclone interceptor James Reynolds shows lightning and havy gusts of wind as Typhoon Mawar passes close to Guam’s northern edge.

The heavy wind and rains have been lashing the US island territory all day, uprooting trees and blowing roofs as residents hunkered down in shelters.

Mawar was projected to pass 11 kilometres northeast of Andersen Air Force Base, close to the village of Yigo on the northern edge of Guam, between 6 and 8 pm.

Residents left with power cut and flood damage as Guam weathers through strongest storm in years

08:22 , Stuti Mishra

Guam successfully weathered the strongest storm in years as typhoon Mawar swept across the Western Pacific Island last night.

Mawar made landfall at local time 9pm but the island was battered by heavy rains and powerful winds of up to 240 kph for hours yesterday, which uprooted trees, blew away roofs, and brought the US territory to a standstill.

According to the Guam Power Authority, nearly all of the island's 52,000 homes and businesses experienced power outages, with only 1,000 retaining electricity.

Despite the intense conditions, the island managed to avoid significant damage.

There are no reports of unusual incidents in hospital emergency rooms, and the overall impact included moderate damages such as localised flooding, fallen debris, and downed power lines.

Typhoon Mawar could be most powerful storm to hit the US Pacific in two decades

Wednesday 24 May 2023 21:00 , Andrea Blanco

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration as an intensifying Super Typhoon Mawar approaches Guam.

Anyone not living in a concrete house in the US island territory was urged to seek safety elsewhere/

Emergency shelters began to fill ahead of what could be the most powerful storm to hit the US Pacific territory in decades.

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said on social media that the declaration will support the mobilization of resources into Guam, which is “especially crucial given our distance from the continental U.S.”

The governor ordered residents of coastal, low-lying and flood-prone areas of the territory of over 150,000 people to evacuate to higher elevations.

AP

What’s the path of Typhoon Mawar?

Wednesday 24 May 2023 20:24 , Andrea Blanco

The storm passed Guam on Wednesday night, the New York Times reports, but the strongest part could make a landing before it moves toward the Philippines later this week.

If Mawar hits Guam as a Category 4 storm, the second highest category, it will be the ninth of that category or stronger to hit the United States or its territories since 2017, according to Yale Climate Connections meteorologist Jeff Masters.

“This is kind of going to be a long night,” a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Guam said during a news briefing. “It is going to be scary. There is no electricity.”

The northern of Guam experienced strong winds, lightning, and heavy rainfall as Mawar moved about eight miles per hour on Wednesday night.

The National Weather Service has issued flash flood warnings for Dededo, Yigo and Tamuning and advised residents to move to higher ground and to avoid driving or walking through flood waters.

Mawar is expected to subside as the centre of the storm slowly pulls away from Guam, but battering winds, heavy showers and strong gusty winds are expected in Guam in the following hours.

“The worst of the conditions will lighten, slowly ending the heavy thrashing of Guam in the next couple of hours,” the National Weather Service said in an advisory issued at 11.30pm EST on Tuesday.

Super Typhoon Mawar has barrelled into Guam

Wednesday 24 May 2023 19:19 , Andrea Blanco

Super Typhoon Mawar has barrelled into Guam, hammering the US territory with hurricane-strength winds of up to 150mph and plunging residents into darkness.

The typhoon made landfall as a powerful Category 4 storm at around 9pm local time on Wednesday night, bringing with it heavy rains and a dangerous storm surge, the National Weather Service said.

Many homes and businesses were left completely without power and water as residents hunkered down inside houses and shelters.

The typhoon marks the strongest storm to hit the US territory in decades.

US Navy will send USS Nimitz to aid Guam

Wednesday 24 May 2023 18:55 , Andrea Blanco

According to the Associated Press, US officials have confirmed the Navy will send the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group to Guam.

President Joe Biden issues emergency declaration

Wednesday 24 May 2023 18:15 , Andrea Blanco

Ahead of the typhoon striking Guam, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Guam on Monday.

Read the declaration below:

“Yesterday, late evening, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the territory of Guam and ordered Federal assistance to supplement territory and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Typhoon Mawar beginning on May 22, 2023, and continuing.

“The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the territory of Guam.

“Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding. “Mr. Benigno B. Ruiz of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.”

WATCH: Storm Mawar intensifies into Super Typhoon with sustained winds of 150mph

Wednesday 24 May 2023 17:12 , Andrea Blanco

Last Category 4 storm to hit Guam was 1976 Pamela

Wednesday 24 May 2023 17:00 , Andrea Blanco

While other storms have skirted Guam, the last Category 4 storm to directly hit the island was Pamela in 1976, University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy told the Associated Press.

Typhoon season runs from 1 July to 15 December in the western North Pacific, according to the weather service.

“Mawar isn’t terribly unusual in location, but certainly in strength,” University of Albany atmospheric science professor Kristen Corbosiero, a tropical cyclone expert, said.

Usually, one or two storms a year come within 50 miles of the island, she said.

Storm intensifies, National Weather Service says

Wednesday 24 May 2023 16:36 , Andrea Blanco

The weather service said the storm was intensifying and warned of a “triple threat” of winds, torrential rains and life-threatening storm surge on Guam.

The weather service said the storm could hit southern Guam around midday Wednesday, which is Tuesday evening in the continental United States.

Guam lies west of the International Date Line and is a day ahead of the US mainland and Hawaii, which is 3,800 miles to the east.

If Guam doesn’t take a direct hit, it will be very close, Patrick Doll, the lead weather service meteorologist in Tiyan, Guam, told The Associated Press.

US Military sends help to the island

Wednesday 24 May 2023 16:08 , Andrea Blanco

Guam is a crucial hub for US forces in the Pacific, and the Department of Defense controls about a third of the island.

Naval Base Guam has been tracking the storm since last week and preparing for the storm, including sending ships away from the island, a standard precaution, base spokesperson Valerie Maigue told the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.

Residents have stockpiled supplies and anyone not living in a concrete house was urged to seek safety elsewhere ahead of what the typhoon’s forecast to be a Category 4 storm.

Federal assistance crucial to mitigate damage, governor says

Wednesday 24 May 2023 15:45 , Andrea Blanco

Federal assistance will be needed to save lives and property and “mitigate the effects of this imminent catastrophe,” Gov Lou Leon Guerrero said in a letter to the president requesting a “pre-landfall emergency” for Guam.

Officials warned residents who aren’t in fully concrete structures — many homes on the far-flung island are made of wood and tin — to consider moving.

Typhoon Mawar could be most powerful storm to hit the US Pacific in decades

Wednesday 24 May 2023 15:17 , Andrea Blanco

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration as an intensifying Super Typhoon Mawar approaches Guam.

Anyone not living in a concrete house in the US island territory was urged to seek safety elsewhere/

Emergency shelters began to fill ahead of what could be the most powerful storm to hit the US Pacific territory in decades.

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero said on social media that the declaration will support the mobilization of resources into Guam, which is “especially crucial given our distance from the continental U.S.”

The governor ordered residents of coastal, low-lying and flood-prone areas of the territory of over 150,000 people to evacuate to higher elevations.

WATCH: Eye of Super Typhoon Mawar swirls over Guam

Wednesday 24 May 2023 15:14 , Andrea Blanco

What areas will be hit by flash floods?

Wednesday 24 May 2023 14:48 , Andrea Blanco

The National Weather Service has issued flash flood warnings for Dededo, Yigo and Tamuning.

Residents are advised to move to higher ground and to avoid driving or walking through flood waters.

Guam prepare for Category 4 Typhoon Mawar

Wednesday 24 May 2023 14:31 , Andrea Blanco

Biden’s emergency declaration

Wednesday 24 May 2023 14:15 , Rachel Sharp

Ahead of the typhoon striking Guam, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Guam on Monday.

Read the declaration below:

“Yesterday, late evening, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the territory of Guam and ordered Federal assistance to supplement territory and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Typhoon Mawar beginning on May 22, 2023, and continuing. “The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the territory of Guam.“Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding. “Mr. Benigno B. Ruiz of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.”

Flash flood warning in effect on Dededo, Yigo and Tamuning

Wednesday 24 May 2023 13:45 , Rachel Sharp

How climate change makes storms like Typhoon Mawar more likely

Wednesday 24 May 2023 13:15 , Stuti Mishra

The increasing frequency and intensity of cyclones around the world have raised concerns about the role of the climate crisis in shaping these destructive phenomena.

Typhoon Mawar is expected to hit Guam at category 4. It was forecast to deliver the biggest hit in two decades to the US territory in the Pacific.But is global heating playing a role in such storms? The Independent’s senior climate correspondent Louise Boyle explains here.

Hurricanes are getting stronger. Here’s why