SAIPAN – Authorities on Guam and the Northern Marianas are preparing for the arrival of typhoon Dolphin today, which forecasters say could be the strongest to hit the Marianas since 2002.

A meteorologist with the US National Weather Service on Guam, Mike Middlebrook, said yesterday the typhoon was about 700 kilometres off the coast of Guam with winds of up to 144 kilometres an hour at its centre.

Middlebrook saids the typhoon was gaining strength and was expected to pass between Guam and the CNMI island of Rota this afternoon with winds of close to 177 kilometres an hour.

“A very slight shift could bring the maximum winds over land, over one of the islands, and it’s only about a 40 mile separation between Guam and Rota – so if it goes right through there will be typhoon-force winds in both places.”

The governors of both Guam and the Northern Marianas have advised people to be prepared, and ensure they have enough food, water and fuel.

The typhoon’s strength will be equal to that of a Category three hurricane, potentially even approaching Category four hurricane status.

Guam and the neighboring Northern Mariana Islands should prepare for destructive winds, torrential rainfall and extremely dangerous surf. Conditions will deteriorate Thursday night with the worst of the storm unleashing its fury on Friday, meteorologists are warning.

The extent of the damage will depend on Dolphin’s exact track which is now expected to be closer to Rota than Guam.

Regardless of exact track, Dolphin will bring dangerous conditions to Guam as well as the islands of Rota, Aguijan, Tinian and Saipan. All these islands can expect damaging winds and torrential rainfall, stated AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Adam Douty said yesterday.

“Even with a direct hit from Dolphin, these islands are fairly well prepared for impacts from tropical systems, so this will help to mitigate impacts,” Douty continued.

Regardless, residents should still prepare for the winds to cause destruction, widespread tree damage and power outages. Flying debris during the height of the storm can claim lives.

In addition, torrential rain on the order of 150 to 300mm threatens to cause flooding. Seas east of the islands will build to dangerous levels of 6 to 9 meters as Dolphin approaches.

Beaches on the same side of the islands, near and north of Dolphin’s centre, will face a storm surge of 1 to 2.5 metres.

As Dolphin crosses the islands, seas will become increasingly rough and dangerous to the west before gradually subsiding over the weekend.

Guam gets threatened and impacted by typhoons frequently but it is unusual for the island to suffer a direct hit.

Similar to Bermuda in the Atlantic, Guam is a small target for a typhoon in the vast Pacific Ocean. The odds of a typhoon’s eye passing over the island are low.

“The most recent direct hit by a typhoon on Guam was Super Typhoon Pongsona in 2002,” AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said.

“ Typhoon Chataan came very close to making a direct hit on Guam in 2002 as well.”

“Pongsona was the third strongest typhoon to hit Guam behind a storm in 1900 and Typhoon Karen in 1962,” Nicholls added.

After departing Guam, Dolphin will continue strengthening as it moves over the open waters east of the Philippines and south of Japan this weekend.

During this time, it is likely that Dolphin could achieve super typhoon status with sustained winds over 240 kmh.

A dip in the jet stream that will move from eastern Asia into Japan will then lift Dolphin northward early next week, keeping the cyclone away from the Philippines, where former Super Typhoon Noul lashed northeastern Luzon this past weekend.