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Tropical Storm Rose is rapidly strengthening in the Pacific and is expected to become a powerful hurricane, threatening to bring strong winds and possible flooding to the Mariana Islands, including Guam, the National Weather Service said.
The storm, which formed early Sunday morning local time and is slowly moving north, could hit Guam, a U.S. territory, as early as Tuesday, said Brandon Bukunt, a meteorologist with the Weather Service.
“We may have to issue a typhoon warning, where typhoon conditions are expected,” said Mr. Bukunt. “But right now, because of the uncertainty, we have a hurricane watch, which means hurricane conditions are possible within two days.”
Tropical Storm Rose had maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour on Sunday at 5 p.m. local time, when it was about 475 miles southeast of Guam, the Weather Service said.
For a storm to be classified as a hurricane, the wind speed must be over 74 mph, sir. Bukunt said. The Weather Service says the storm will reach hurricane status by Sunday night.
As the storm approaches the islands, those winds “will pick up,” he said, and an outer band of rain could bring heavy rain, increasing the possibility of flooding, including in Guam, which is home to Andersen Air Force Base.
Governor Lou Leon Guerrero of Guam and Rear Admiral Benjamin Nicholson placed the island and its military base on alert Saturday for potentially damaging winds, according to a statement from the base.
The base added that “all military installations on Guam are currently securing their facilities, and residents are advised to begin severe weather preparation efforts.”
Typhoons can occur throughout the year, but are most common from May to October.
Tropical Storm Mawar, whose Malaysian name means “rose,” is the second storm to hit the Western Pacific this season. The first, Tropical Storm Sanvu, was very fast in less than two days.
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