HAGATNA, Guam: Residents in Guam are bracing for potentially damaging winds and flooding as Typhoon Dolphin approaches the US territory today.
Senior meteorologist Mike Middlebrooke of the National Weather Service said the typhoon’s centre is about 200 miles east of Guam and is moving northwest at 16 miles per hour.
Satellite estimates put the winds near the centre of the storm at about 130 miles per hour, he said, with maximum sustained winds around 110 miles per hour. Gusts on Guam are currently being recorded at around 50 miles per hour.
The storm is expected to pass close to northern Guam around 6pm today, with higher winds expected on the northern side of the island.
Middlebrooke cautioned that the system could deviate, so meteorologists are “watching it real close.”
Five public schools are serving as emergency shelters for 748 residents. Twenty-four pregnant women have checked-in to Guam Memorial Hospital, according to Gov. Eddie Calvo’s office.
Some airlines canceled flights scheduled to arrive or depart Guam today.
Officials say no one except public safety and emergency response personnel should be outdoors after 5am today.
Typhoons are the same as hurricanes and cyclones. Distinctive terms for the storms are used in different parts of the world.--AP