It is the strongest typhoon ever recorded to impact the Mariana Islands, and is tied as the second-strongest tropical cyclone to strike the United States and its unincorporated territories by both wind speed and barometric pressure.

An emergency was declared for the Northern Mariana Islands as Yutu approached the archipelago, while tropical cyclone warnings and watches were raised.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signals were issued throughout Luzon while the Philippines was still recovering from Mangkhut, leading to pre-emptive evacuation of 32,519 people.

[2] Located 1,817 km (1,129 mi) east-southeast of Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the disturbance was situated in an environment of favorable conditions for potential tropical cyclogenesis such as substantial equatorward outflow, low vertical wind shear, and very warm sea surface temperatures of 30–32 °C (86–90 °F).

[4] Eighteen hours later on October 21, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) designated the consolidating system 31W.

[5] As the cyclone began to steer west-northwestward around a subtropical ridge to its southwest, radial outflow was limited by a weak tropical upper tropospheric trough (TUTT) cell to the system's northwest,[6] though it soon diminished the next day.

[14] Around 18:00 UTC (04:00 ChST of October 25), Yutu struck Tinian and the southern portion of Saipan at peak intensity,[15] becoming the most powerful storm on record to impact the Northern Mariana Islands.

[16][17] The eastern periphery of the eyewall thinned under the influence of dry air in the middle troposphere,[18] while the storm maintained its robust convection around the cooling, shrinking eye.

[23] Conditions then became slightly less favorable, with dry air wrapping into the storm's circulation; on this basis, the JTWC assessed that Yutu had weakened to below super typhoon strength on October 28.

[24] While the storm was 713 km (443 mi) east-northeast of Manila, Philippines, rainbands began to collapse as the cloud tops warm, after outflow had reduce.

[4] As it continued to move away from the Philippines, the system re-consolidated as indicated by improved banding over the northern flank,[29] but weakened into a tropical storm at 18:00 UTC, according to the JTWC.

[8] However, Yutu began experiencing moderate to high wind shear while turning northward due to outflow being limited elsewhere and cooled sea surface temperatures, as its center becomes poorly-defined and deep convection becomes displaced to the northeast.

[4] The JTWC followed suit in downgrading the system six hours later,[8] after the storm had lost all of its convection from unfavorable wind shear while 287 km (178 mi) southeast of Hong Kong.

[37] In the month prior to Yutu, Typhoon Mangkhut struck the Mariana Islands, prompting emergency officials to stockpile supplies.

2 was hoisted across Cagayan, Isabela, Aurora, Quirino, and Polillo Island, before it extended to Mountain Province, Ifugao, Benguet, and Nueva Vizcaya that same day.

An orange rainfall warning was issued across Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, and Rizal, and extended to Pampanga, after Yutu had made landfall.

[66] The highest wind gust was recorded at 170 km/h (100 mph) over Saipan at 14:44 UTC on October 24, before weather instruments across the island along with Tinian were damaged or destroyed.

[15] The majority of buildings in southern Saipan lost their roofs or were destroyed,[68] including Hopwood Middle School, which suffered extensive damage,[74] and the gymnasium and classrooms of Northern Marianas College.

106 road sections and ten bridges were affected across Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

Most of the deaths occurred in Mountain Province, after 21 people died in Natonin when a landslide buried a Department of Public Works and Highways building.

[95] In Calabarzon, a fishing boat carrying three fishermen capsized due to big waves near Perez, Quezon; one of them was reported missing before being declared dead by drowning.

[96] In Eastern Visayas, 109 homes were destroyed in Northern Samar,[59] including at least 10 in Pambujan that were impacted by waves reaching 3 to 5 m (9.8 to 16.4 ft) and 12 in Mapanas from storm surges.

[62] Due to the severe damage in the Northern Mariana Islands and the Philippines, the name Yutu was retired during the 52nd annual session of the ESCAP/WMO Typhoon Committee in February 2020.

Immediately following the typhoon's impact, the Congressional Delegate for the Northern Mariana Islands, Gregorio Sablan, made a request for aid.

In accordance with changes implemented after Hurricane Maria in 2017, the agency established specific task forces to handle smaller scale facets of the recovery: transportation, communications, food and water, and energy and fuel.

[113] The Red Cross coordinated with FEMA in sending staff and supplies, despite difficulties due to damaged airports, while supporting government-run shelters with food and water.

The island's Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense were to lead local government efforts in cleaning debris or restoring utilities, according to Guam Governor Eddie Baza Calvo.

Additionally, FEMA's Volunteer Agencies Leading and Organizing Repairs (VALOR) program completed 94 projects, and the SBA provided $97.4 million.

Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines rescued people who were stranded in Roxas, Isabela, and also deployed six teams totaling 63 personnel.

[119] As ACT Alliance continued its assessment, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines revised its response to Typhoon Mangkhut to increase the needs for the affected families, jointly implementing projects with Christian Aid.