 After attaining typhoon status , Paka strengthened fairly quickly , and by December 12 it reached sustained winds of 150 km / h ( 90 mph ) for a ten @-@ minute ( 10 min ) duration , or 215 km / h ( 135 mph ) over a one @-@ minute ( 1 min ) duration . Subsequently , it briefly weakened as its forward motion increased . However , Paka again re @-@ intensified , and at 1200 UTC on December 14 it attained the unofficial ranking of super typhoon status while over the open Pacific Ocean . At the same time , the JMA classified it with 10 min sustained winds of 175 km / h ( 110 mph ) . After reaching its initial peak intensity , Typhoon Paka began to weaken as it approached the southern Mariana Islands ; the NEXRAD Doppler weather radar from Guam revealed the presence of a primary eyewall of 74 km ( 46 mi ) in diameter , with a fragmented inner wall cloud of 19 km ( 11 mi ) in diameter . Additionally , satellite imagery indicated an eyewall <unk> within the eye of the typhoon . It slowed and began to re @-@ intensify as it continued westward , and at 0530 UTC on December 16 the northern portion of the outer eyewall of Paka passed over the island of Rota ; 20 minutes later , the southern portion of the inner wall cloud moved across northern Guam . As it tracked through the Rota Channel , the center of Paka passed about 8 km ( 5 mi ) north of the northern tip of Guam , its closest approach to the island . 
