Super Typhoon Haiyan Tears Through Philippines, Takes Aim at Vietnam
According to the [http://www.usno.navy.mil/JTWC/](Joint Typhoon Warning Center) (JTWC) Super Typhoon Haiyan continues to pack winds equivalent to a category 4 hurricane as it pushes west, and northwest into the South China Sea. Haiyan was the strongest cyclone to make landfall this year packing sustained winds over 190 mph, with gusts well over 200 miles an hour.
Haiyan is forecast to make it's second landfall sometime Sunday in Vietnam. Maximum sustained winds are forecast to drop to 95 - 105 mph by this time, but a good deal of uncertainty remains regarding strength as Philippines interaction effects are still not fully understood.
Plenty of discussion will be had as to where Haiyan will find itself in the record books. To be certain, this is one of the stronger storms we have seen in modern record keeping, but possibly not the strongest. It is also important to differentiate between strongest "on record" and the "strongest in history" -- we simply do not know.
In yesterday's post we compiled a list of great resources to track this typhoon, and will continue to update it as necessary. While it is too early to know the extent of damage caused by Haiyan, it is almost certain to be extensive, and with another landfall in the coming days it is not yet time to let down guard.
Below are a few of the incredible images taken from space of Haiyan, with more here.
