“Super-Hurricane” Expected to Hit US Islands in the Pacific, Residents Queue for Fuel and Food Supplies

Residents in Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are preparing for the passage of Super Typhoon Bavi, which is moving toward the US territories in the Pacific Ocean.

According to the warning center, the super typhoon is accompanied by sustained winds of 259 kilometers per hour and gusts reaching 314 kilometers per hour.

Media reports say residents are rushing to stock up on food, water and materials to insulate their homes, while celebrations for US Independence Day were set aside because of the storm.

The phenomenon is expected to hit the region on Monday morning, making it the second super typhoon to strike the archipelago in just two months.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned yesterday that the El Niño climate phenomenon, which usually occurs every two to seven years and lasts nine to 12 months, had already begun in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

This phenomenon raises water surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific at the equator, altering wind, pressure and rainfall patterns and changing the climate on a global scale.