Noon Wednesday, Oct. 11, Guam time: Wow. What a dangerous beast Bolaven became overnight.
The good news is, Bolaven has moved north of Guam. Joint Region Marianas and GovGuam resumed seasonal Condition of Readiness 4 at 10 a.m. local time. All watches and warnings for Guam have been canceled, according to the National Weather Service.
But oh, what Bolaven has become. In less than 24 hours, it went from a tropical storm to a Category 5-equivalent super typhoon, the fourth of the northwest Pacific’s typhoon season, packing 161-mph sustained winds and 196-mph gusts at center, according to Joint Typhoon Warning Center, and more strengthening is likely.
Other than passing west of the smaller, outer Northern Marianas islands, Bolaven doesn’t appear to be a threat to major land masses. Storm Tracker will continue to monitor, just in case.