Typhoon Champi was just 45 miles southeast of Guam radar at 2 a.m. Sunday, packing winds of 140 and moving to the west-northwest at 14 mph.
After a night of wobbles and shifts, the Category 4 storm was forecast to pass just south of the island Sunday morning.
At the National Weather Service Guam office, forecasters warned that the eyewall of the powerful storm could bring heavy rain and destructive winds to the island, especially to the southern villages.
Although the storm slowed down briefly, at one point dropping to a forward speed of 8 mph, Champi sped up again as it approached Guam.
Brandon Aydlett of the National Weather Service said the worst of the weather would arrive between sunrise and late morning.
“And then we’re going to see a quick reduction in those severe typhoon-force winds, but we’re still going to be seeing a lot of heavy rainfall,” he said.
High winds and heavy rain will last throughout the day and into the evening, he said.
Rainfall totals of 12-20 inches are still expected, with flooding a concern.
