Sinlaku upgraded to typhoon watch for Guam and CNMI; Storm conditions predicted to linger up to 60 hours

 By Pacific Island Times News Staff

The National Weather Service today issued a typhoon watch for Guam and the Northern Marianas as it continued to track the slow-moving Tropical Storm Sinlaku, which was still hovering over Chuuk, carrying winds of 70 mph as of 7 a.m.

Despite its slow motion, Sinlaku is projected to develop into a category 3 or 4 typhoon, likely packed with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph, said Brandon Aydlet, a meteorologist at NWS.

“That's going to be significant—130 miles per hour is significant,” Aydlet said in a virtual briefing. “That is what we experienced as typhoon Mawar rounded the north tip of Mawar, 130 miles per hour, category four. That is the potential we face as we go into Tuesday.

While Guam and Rota are advised to brace for typhoon conditions, Tinian and Saipan are facing tropical storm conditions with an outside chance of typhoon conditions if Sinlaku shifts a little bit farther north, Aydlet said.

“Monday morning for the onset of damaging tropical storm conditions for Guam, and then just a little bit later through the day for Rota and Saipan. We're still looking at a long-duration event, potentially 48 to 60 hours of tropical storm conditions or worse,” he added.

As it did in the previous days, Sinlaku continues its nearly stationary motion.

“Today could be nearly stationary for most of the day. We should start seeing a little bit of a northwest motion as we head into Sunday morning,” Aydlet said.

“That's going to start really fine-tuning just where Simaku will pass through the Marianas. A 20 -mile shift north and south is going to have significant impacts and changes.”

This story will be updated.