Fierce winds hit U.S. Pacific territories as Super Typhoon Bavi makes landfall near Guam

The storm also affected the Northern Mariana Islands as the area was still recovering from a destructive cyclone that struck in April.

Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall Monday over a tiny U.S. territorial island in the western Pacific near Guam, bringing powerful winds and torrential rain to the Northern Mariana Islands.

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The eye of the storm passed over the island of Rota on Monday morning local time, bringing winds of more than 150 mph, according to the National Weather Service. It was traveling at around 9 mph west toward the Philippines, the weather service said.

“Hang tight,” National Weather Service meteorologist Brandon Aydlett said. “We’re coming just out of the peak of conditions. It’s going to be a slow improvement, but improvement is coming.”