Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall in the US Pacific Islands Weather News

Authorities in Rota, which is part of the Northern Mariana Islands, say they have received reports of ‘serious threats’.

A “hurricane” has reached the United States’ western Pacific islands near Guam, and officials say they have received reports of widespread damage as strong winds and heavy rain battered the Northern Mariana Islands.

The eye of Super Typhoon Bavi it passed the island of Rota on Monday morning local time, bringing sustained winds of more than 150mph (241km/h), equivalent to a category five hurricane, according to the US National Weather Service (NWS).

It was moving about 9 mph (14 km/h) west toward the Philippines, the NWS said.

After the tornado first hit, the NWS urged Rota residents on social media to “treat incoming tornadoes as an approaching tornado and move indoors or shelter NOW”.

The storm affected parts of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, both US territories. The area is still recovering Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which hit in the middle of April.

The Northern Mariana Islands and Guam are home to approximately 210,000 people.

Local authorities in Rota – in the southernmost part of the Northern Marianas, less than 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Guam – said they had received reports of “significant damage”, but the extent was not yet known due to communication difficulties.

In addition to Rota, hurricane and flood warnings were in effect for Guam, Tinian and Saipan, while hurricane warnings and watches were in place for other islands in the region.

The National Weather Service said the storm could bring up to 51 centimeters of rain in the region.

As Bavi moved through the area faster than Sinlaku, the islands could experience tropical storms through Monday night, the NWS said.

In a video posted on social media on Sunday, Guam Governor Lou Leon Guerrero urged people to stay at home or in shelters.