Far from the football pitches, Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall on the U.S. island of Rota in the Pacific on Monday, with the National Weather Service warning of “catastrophic damage.” The western eyewall of the storm passed directly over Rota, bringing sustained winds of up to 289 km/h (180 mph) and gusts exceeding 241 km/h.
The typhoon also unleashed extreme winds and torrential rain on other parts of the Northern Mariana Islands and the nearby U.S. territory of Guam, which together are home to approximately 210,000 people. Authorities warned of life-threatening conditions across the region.
