Super Typhoon Bavi was forecast to roar westwards over the area from early Monday with winds of 260 kilometers per hour (160 miles per hour) -- equivalent to a category 5 hurricane -- and gusts of up to 315 kph.

The National Weather Service called the typhoon "very dangerous", warning of "tropical storm force" winds from Sunday afternoon or evening and "catastrophic" damage near the system's center later.

"Significant flooding from torrential rains, and coastal inundation are expected," the NWS said, with projected waves of up to 35 feet (10.7 meters) -– the height of a 10-storey building -- creating "extremely dangerous" conditions at sea.

Pinky Cubacub, 55, said as she boarded up the windows of her eatery in Guam that she had lined up early on Saturday morning to buy $500 worth of plywood at a lumber store.

"I cannot afford to lose so many days. It hurts," she told AFP. "Because I just started, whatever we're making right now is just for rent, utilities, and my people, and supplies. I don't even pay myself yet."

Call centre employee Arabella Paulino, 48, said: "My girls were saying to me it's scary. But it will be okay."

"My house is concrete, so the worst that can happen is a window could blow in," she told AFP.

Derma Soaladaob said she was going to a hotel.

"I have a concrete house but with the noise and the wind, it's scary," said the 51-year-old, who drives a school bus for the US military.

Japanese tourist Miku Sakurai, 25, was supposed to fly back to Tokyo with her friends on Sunday but their flight was cancelled because of the weather.

"We will stay in the hotel when the storm comes. I am scared," the office worker told AFP as heavy rain began to fall.