Axios

Super typhoon Mawar strengthened into the equivalent of a powerful Category 5 hurricane as it pulled away from the Mariana Islands after pummeling Guam earlier this week.

State of play: That's according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, which recorded Mawar's maximum sustained winds at 185 mph on Friday morning local Guam time. President Biden approved a disaster declaration late Thursday for Guam — which Mawar slammed with heavy rains and powerful winds, knocking out power and downing trees across the U.S. territory.

The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season, which officially kicks off June 1, is set to feature a tug of war between a developing El Niño in the Pacific, and unusually warm waters throughout the Atlantic, NOAA forecasters say.

Why it matters: The seasonal outlook, released Thursday, helps inform storm planning for the federal, state and local governments.

Mawar gained strength as it lashed Guam and became a super typhoon as it slowly pulled away from the the U.S. territory island in the Western Pacific on Thursday morning local time.

Threat level: The National Weather Service's Guam office warned typhoon warnings remained in effect for the island, which is home to three U.S. military bases. The NWS urged residents to keep safe shelter until the "damaging winds" subsided, as the storm packed maximum sustained winds of 150 mph.