Super Typhoon Vongfong has become the strongest tropical cyclone of 2014 after intensifying rapidly overnight Monday into Tuesday, U.S. time. As of 3 a.m. Japanese time Wednesday (2 p.m. EDT Tuesday in the U.S.), the eye of Vongfong was about 700 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, moving west at about 10 mph.
Maximum sustained winds had skyrocketed to an estimated 180 mph, the equivalent of a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane, according to the U.S. military's Joint Typhoon Warning Center.
Vongfong became the fifth super typhoon (150 mph max sustained winds or higher) of 2014.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Vongfong has now surpassed Genevieve for the most intense western Pacific typhoon of 2014 by estimated central pressure (900 millibars). On the JMA typhoon intensity scale, Vongfong is the third "violent typhoon" of 2014, following Genevieve and Halong.
"It's safe to say Vongfong is the strongest storm on earth since Haiyan last year," said Michael Lowry, storm specialist for The Weather Channel. Haiyan killed over 6,000 people when it slammed into the Philippines in November 2013 with maximum sustained winds estimated at 195 mph by JTWC.
http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/typhoon-vongfong-japan-threat-20141006
No comments:
Post a Comment