Typhoon Champi strengthens to Category 4 as it nears Guam

Typhoon Champi strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 4 typhoon in less than a day. As of 7 p.m. Saturday Guam time it had sustained winds of 130 mph about 140 miles east-southeast of Guam, with closest approach expected around sunrise Sunday local time. The National Weather Service warned that "devastating damage will occur" and that islandwide power loss could last days or weeks. Guam is in Condition of Readiness 1; residents of coastal and flood-prone southern villages were urged to evacuate to shelters.