Super Typhoon Vongfong becomes most intense storm of 2014
SUPER Typhoon Vongfong has become the most intense storm on Earth this year — and it’s headed straight for one of the world’s most populous countries.
technology/environment
Don't miss out on the headlines from technology/environment. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE sixth super typhoon to form in 2014 has strengthened overnight to become the most intense storm on the planet since the deadly Typhoon Haiyan.
Super Typhoon Vongfong has intensified over the past 24 hours — and it’s headed straight for one of the world’s most populous countries.
The tropical cyclone in the northwest Pacific Ocean has grown from a category two hurricane to a monster typhoon, with winds as fast as 270km/h.
With a central pressure reading of 908 millibars, Vongfong is the most intense storm of 2014 anywhere in the world, and could rival the destructive force of last year’s Typhoon Haiyan, The Washington Post reports.
Low wind shear and strong outflow has allowed the storm to explode from speeds of 143km/h to 270km/h over the past over the past 24 hours, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.
With forecasts that the storm will intensify further, it could grow as strong as Typhoon Haiyan, which killed 6000 people in 2013.
The super typhoon is set to make a sharp turn towards southern Japan over the next 24 to 48 hours.
The good news is that it is likely to weaken before it hits land.
It will diminish to a category two storm with wind speeds of about 170km/h as it heads towards the southern islands of the Kagoshima Prefecture.
The region is still mopping up from Typhoon Phanfone, which hammered eastern Japan with more than 150mm of rain on Sunday and Monday.
Vongfong is expected to bring more strong winds, torrential rain and mudslides.
The storm caused minor damage as it moved through the north-western Pacific Ocean islands of Guam, Saipan, Rota and Tinian earlier in the week.
In Saipan, the cyclone blew the tin roof off a building, caused an transformer to explode and knocked over trees.
About 180 residents sought emergency shelter.
Originally published as Super Typhoon Vongfong becomes most intense storm of 2014
‘It’s ours’: Star’s emotional plea for action
Aquaman star Jason Momoa has opened up about his most important film — and it’s sparked a world-first way everyone can help.
Worrying sign for Great Barrier Reef
Climate change-driven heat and cyclones have caused a large chunk of the Great Barrier Reef to drop in health, with some areas reporting the largest coral decline in 39 years.