'Super typhoon' Bavi heads for US Pacific islands

People in Guam and the Northern Marianas readied themselves on Saturday as the second "super typhoon" to threaten the US Pacific territories since April drew closer, bringing the equivalent of category-5 hurricane winds.

Bavi was several hundred kilometers east of the archipelago with sustained winds of 259 kilometers per hour (161 miles per hour), and gusts of 314 kph (195 mph), the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) said in an update at 7:00 am Guam time (2100 GMT Friday).

"Current forecast tracks continue to indicate a grim outlook for the Marianas," the US National Weather Service warned. "All residents across Guam and the (Northern Mariana Islands) should plan for and anticipate at least tropical storm conditions."

The islands' roughly 200,000 inhabitants queued at gas stations in recent days and thronged hardware stores to buy plywood and supermarkets for food, bottled water and other essentials.

Jeff Garcia, 48, who lives in Kagman Village in the Northern Marianas, told AFP that safety was the top priority, adding that they had "weathered super typhoons before."

"We bought basic needs like water, candles, batteries, and canned goods... As a community, our greatest defense is our unity, our preparation, and our discipline," he said.

Plans for celebrating the United States's 250th anniversary on Saturday have been quickly overtaken by storm preparations, with both Guam and the Northern Marianas declaring a state of emergency.

Workers at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan resort were boarding up windows, securing outdoor furniture and equipment, checking alarm systems and stocking first aid kits on Friday.

"We're all working together to reduce damage and make sure we're ready to respond once the storm passes," the resort's sports, entertainment and activities manager Reymark Castro, 35, told AFP.

- Still recovering -

The Northern Marianas archipelago is home to around 40,000 people, and nearby Guam -- a separate US territory -- around 170,000. Major battles were fought in the area in World War II.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which hit in mid-April, knocked out power for tens of thousands of people, uprooted trees, overturned cars and ripped metal roofs off buildings.

A cargo ship, the MV Mariana, suffered engine failure and overturned in the storm. The body of one crew member was recovered and five others were missing, presumed dead.

The American Red Cross warned that some locals were still in temporary shelters or under makeshift roofs, even as it deployed disaster teams and supplies ahead of Bavi's arrival.

Em Marilla, 42, who lives in As Lito village, told AFP the thought of "going through it all again without electricity and water is really sad."

"Furthermore, the application process for assistance takes far too long, and having to keep spending out of pocket for our daily needs is truly draining," she said.

Lherie Galvan, 50, an accountant in San Antonio village, said: "I'm tired of preparing, planning, and fixing our roof."

"It's another anxiety to recover from. We need more psychiatrists on the island and financial assistance.

"Children already have trauma but at a young age they know how to prepare -- pack their things for emergencies."

- Warming oceans -

The world's oceans experienced their hottest June on record and could set fresh highs in the months ahead, the European Union's Copernicus Marine Service said on Wednesday.

Warmer oceans help tropical storms to intensify and add more moisture, which can fall as heavy rain.

The World Meteorological Organization warned on Friday that El Nino, which typically occurs every two to seven years and lasts nine to 12 months, has already begun in the tropical Pacific and is likely to be strong.

The natural climate phenomenon warms surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, bringing worldwide changes in winds, pressure and rainfall patterns.

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© Agence France-Presse