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When storm Mawar is expected to hit the Philippines and the current situation in Guam

A typhoon has ripped through the remote US Pacific Territory of Guam and is now on its way towards the Philippines, forecasters have predicted.

Residents of Guam woke up to a scene of mass destruction in the wake of Storm Mawar, which touched land at 9pm local time on Wednesday.

Now authorities are reporting that Mawar has re-intensified into a super typhoon as it heads 1,500 miles west to the Philippines.

High waves from Typhoon Mawar batter the coast of Ipan in Talofofo, Guam, Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Many residents of Guam remained without power and utilities Thursday after Typhoon Mawar tore through the remote U.S. Pacific territory the night before and ripped roofs off homes, flipped vehicles and shredded trees. (Rick Cruz/The Pacific Daily via AP)
High waves from Typhoon Mawar off the coast of Ipan in Talofofo, Guam (Photo: Rick Cruz/The Pacific Daily via AP)

Many residents of Guam have woken up without power and electricity after Typhoon Mawar ripped through the remote island, ripping roofs off homes, flipping vehicles and shredding trees.

There have been no reports of deaths so far, but the storm has caused huge devastation. The island’s international airport flooded and the swirling typhoon churned up a storm surge and waves that crashed through coastal reefs and flooded homes.

“We are waking up to a rather disturbing scene out there across Guam. We’re looking out our door and what used to be a jungle looks like toothpicks — it looks like a scene from the movie ‘Twister,’ with trees just thrashed apart,” said Landon Aydlett, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Typhoon Mawar is the strongest typhoon to hit the territory of 150,000 people since 2002.

The typhoon was classed as a Category 4 storm when it made landfall on the island at 9pm on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the state weather service for the Phillipines, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said Mawar had become a super typhoon again after briefly weakening as it passed over Guam.

It is currently packing winds of up to 185km per hour near the centre and gusts of up to 230kph as it moves west-northwestward, according to PAGASA.

Andy Villagomez clears what remains of a large tree that overshadowed his front yard before falling to Typhoon Mawar, Thursday, May 25, 2023, in Mongmong-Toto-Maite, Guam. (AP Photo/Grace Garces Bordallo)
Andy Villagomez clears what remains of a large tree that overshadowed his front garden before falling to Typhoon Mawar (Photo: Grace Garces Bordallo/AP)

The storm, which will be renamed Betty when it enters the Philippine area of responsibility, is currently forecast to enter the region on Friday evening or the early hours of Saturday.

It is not clear yet whether the storm will make landfall over the Philippines, but is expected to bring heavy rains to parts of the country.

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