Typhoon Bavi battered the Marianas on Sunday night. The eye of Typhoon Bavi passed over Rota. At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday the center of Typhoon Bavi was located at latitude 14.5°N and longitude 144.4°E which put the center about 20 miles (30 km) northwest of Rota and about 45 miles (75 km) north of Guam. Bavi was moving toward the west-northwest at 13 m.p.h. (21 km/h). The maximum sustained wind speed was 175 m.p.h. (280 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 205 m.p.h. (335 km/h). The minimum surface pressure was 906 mb.
Typhoon Warnings are in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan.
Tropical Storm Warnings are in effect for Alamagan.
Tropical Storm Watches are in effect for Pagan and Agrihan.
The eye of Typhoon Bavi passed directly over Rota. There have been no recent reports from the weather station on Rota. The most recent observation from Andersen Air Force Base on Guam (PGUA) reported a sustained wind speed of 74 m.p.h. (119 km/h) and a wind gust of 92 m.p.h. (148 km/h).
Typhoon Bavi was the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
A circular eye with a diameter of 25 miles (40 km) was at the center of Typhoon Bavi. The eye was surrounded by a ring of thunderstorms and the strongest winds were occurring in that ring of storms. Bands of showers and thunderstorms were revolving around the core of Bavi’s circulation. Storms near the core of Bavi generated strong upper level divergence that pumped large quantities of mass away from typhoon. The removal of large quantities of mass caused the surface pressure to decrease.
The size of the circulation around Typhoon Bavi increased on Sunday. Winds to typhoon force extended out 70 miles (110 km) from the center of Bavi’s circulation. Winds to tropical storm force extended out 310 miles (500 km) from the center of Typhoon Bavi.
The Hurricane Intensity Index (HII) for Typhoon Bavi is 40.4. The Hurricane Size Index (HSI) is 26.8 and the Hurricane Wind Intensity Size Index (HWISI) is 67.2. Typhoon Bavi is similar in intensity to Hurricane Maria when Maria was at its maximum intensity in 2017. Typhoon Bavi is bigger than Maria was.
Typhoon Bavi will more through an environment that will be favorable for a powerful typhoon during the next 24 hours. Bavi will move over water where the Sea Surface Temperatures are near 29°C. It will move through a region where the upper level winds are weak and there will be little vertical wind shear. Typhoon Bavi could maintain its intensity during the next 24 hours unless another eyewall replacement cycle occurs. If the inner end of a rainband wraps around the existing eye and eyewall, then an eyewall replacement cycle would cause Bavi to weaken temporarily again.
Typhoon Bavi will move around the southern side of a high pressure system that is over the Western North Pacific Ocean. The high pressure system will steer Bavi toward the west-northwest during the next 24 hours. On its anticipated track, Typhoon Bavi will move to the west of the Marianas during the next 24 hours.
Typhoon Bavi will continue to bring strong winds and heavy rain to the Marianas on Monday. Bavi could be capable of causing catastrophic damage. Heavy rain will cause flash floods in some locations.
Flood Warnings are in effect for Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan.
Typhoon Bavi could also cause a storm surge of up to 16 feet (5 meters) along the coast of the Marianas.
