In Pacific Ocean, Super Typhoon Sinlakua bears down on group of remote US islands

A dangerous super typhoon in the Pacific Ocean is barrelling towards a group of remote US islands.Super Typhoon Sinlakua is expected to make landfall on Tuesday in the Northern Mariana Islands and bring destructive winds, widespread heavy rain and flooding, the National Weather Service said on Monday.Power cuts on the islands could be lengthy, forecasters warned.Guam, a US territory with American military installations and about 170,000 residents, could also see damaging winds and is under a tropical storm warning. The United States Coast Guard issued flood and high wind warnings over the weekend.The tropical typhoon – the strongest on Earth so far this year – was producing sustained winds of 278km/h (173mph) on Monday as it neared the islands of Rota, Tinian and Saipan, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.While it is expected to weaken slightly over the next few days, Sinlaku should cross near the islands as a Category 4 or 5 typhoon.About 50,000 people live on the three islands, with most on Saipan, the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands, known for its laid-back resorts, snorkelling and golf.