The Mariana Islands in the western Pacific are bracing for extreme weather as Super Typhoon Sinlaku approaches. The storm, which originated as a cluster of thunderstorms over Micronesia, intensified into a typhoon over the weekend and now boasts sustained winds of 150mph, with forecasts predicting a rise to 165mph.
While a direct hit on Guam appears unlikely due to a slight northward shift in the storm's track, the islands of Saipan and Tinian are expected to face the most severe conditions. The National Weather Service in Guam has issued warnings for destructive winds, rainfall exceeding 300mm between Monday and Thursday, hazardous seas, and storm surges, followed by flash flooding and mudslides.
Sinlaku is classified as a super typhoon by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, equivalent to a category 4 hurricane in the North Atlantic, with potential to reach category 5. Typhoons of this intensity are rare in April, as the peak season typically runs from June to November.
In the South Pacific, Tropical Cyclone Vaianu formed on 5 April and passed near Fiji without making landfall. It was later reclassified as an extratropical cyclone as it moved over New Zealand, bringing red wind warnings, gusts up to 80mph, power outages, evacuations, and massive ocean swells, with one buoy recording an 11-metre wave.
