Super Typhoon Mangkhut plows toward the Philippines, Taiwan with damaging winds and flooding rain

Mangkhut will bring the threat for flooding rainfall and damaging winds from the Philippines and Taiwan to China into early next week.

The strengthening cyclone passed by Guam on Monday evening, bringing peak wind gusts of 130 km/h (81 mph) on the island.

Mangkhut reached super typhoon status Tuesday evening, local time, while churning in the Pacific Ocean.

“Even further strengthening is expected with Mangkhut as it moves westward toward land,” said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty.

If sustained wind speeds of 220 km/h (140 mph) are reached, Mangkhut will not only be a super typhoon, but also equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific.