A Civil Defence spokesman in Yap, in the Federated States of Micronesia, told AFP by phone that huge seas with waves up to 10 metres (34 feet) high were overwhelming Ulithi atoll, which is no more than five metres (16 feet) above sea-level, as Typhoon Lupit passed nearby.

"We told the people to take shelter in strong buildings," the spokesman said. He said they had received no reports of injury or death but said the strong winds were causing severe damage to trees and crops.

"The eye of the typhoon is near to Ulithi and we have been told that the tail of the storm will be much worse."

About 700 people live on Ulithi, which is made up of 49 islands with a land area of 4.5 square kilometres (1.79 square miles), wrapped around the fourth largest lagoon in the world at 474 square kilometres (183 square miles).

On Yap's main islands many trees were down and the sea was reaching a long way inland, damaging gardens and crops.

The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii said Lupit was bringing high seas and winds of 194 kilometres per hour (105 knots) with gusts of 240 kph (130 knots). The storm is moving northwest toward Okinawa and Taiwan and by the end of the week is forecast to produce winds of 260 kph (140 knots) to 314 kph (170 knots).

If it reaches those numbers Lupit will become a super typhoon which has winds of at least 241 kph (130 knots).

Ulithi appears to have narrowly escaped a worse disaster. Up until recently a World War II wreck, tanker USS Mississinewa, has been leaking oil into the lagoon, sparking fears its estimated 1.6 million litres (440,000 gallons) would spill out. The US Coastguard recently completed pumping the oil from the wreck.

TERRA.WIRE