HAGATNA, Guam — Winds from a powerful Pacific typhoon were hitting the region around U.S. territory of Guam late Friday.
The National Weather Service said the center of Typhoon Dolphin was passing through a 50-mile-wide channel near Guam.
"The eye of Dolphin is now in the Rota Channel between Guam and Rota ... and is moving at 10 mph," the weather service said on its website.
The weather service said at 7 p.m. (5 a.m. ET) that typhoon-force winds of at least 74 mph were expected in the region. The storm was packing maximum winds of 110 mph.
Earlier, senior meteorologist Mike Middlebrooke predicted northern Guam would be hit.
"A heavy band is moving across the island and the eye will hit northern Guam," he told The Associated Press.
Steady rains and strong winds buffeted the island for several hours Friday.
Residents of this island of about 160,000 people have been bracing for potentially damaging winds and flooding for the past day.
Earlier in the day, Guam was getting some surf, with a beach on the eastern coast reporting 16-foot waves.
Some airlines canceled flights scheduled to arrive or depart Guam on Friday. Authorities have warned residents in low-lying areas to be on the lookout for flooding and to move to higher ground if necessary.
There are two U.S. military bases in Guam, Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam. Both were closed Friday to everyone except for essential personnel.
