Typhoon Mawar lashed Taiwan’s eastern coast with wind, rain and large waves Tuesday but largely skirted the island after giving a glancing blow to the northern Philippines.

Philippine officials are evacuating thousands of villagers, shutting schools and offices and imposing a no-sail ban as Typhoon Mawar approaches the country’s northern provinces.

Guam residents facing down the strongest typhoon to hit their remote U.S. Pacific island territory in decades had identical twin meteorologists helping them get ready and stay safe this week.

The powerful Typhoon Mawar lashing Guam has interrupted travel and tropical island life for residents and U.S. military members in one of the nation's most remote territories.

Typhoon Mawar was a Category 4 super typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph or greater when it crossed the northern tip of Guam on Wednesday night.

Powerful Typhoon Mawar has smashed the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, lashing the island with wind and rain, tearing down trees, walls and power lines, flipping cars and pushing a dangerous storm surge ashore.