Typhoon Haiyan

This image provided by the U.S. Naval Research Lab shows Typhoon Haiyan taken by the NEXSAT satellite Thursday Nov. 7, 2013 at 2:30 a.m. EDT. Gorvernment forecasters said Thursday that Typhoon Haiyan was packing sustained winds of 215 kilometers (134 miles) per hour and ferocious gusts of 250 kph (155 mph) and could pick up strength over the Pacific Ocean before it slams into the eastern Philippine province of Eastern Samar on Friday. (AP/US Naval Research Lab)
The U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii said it was the strongest tropical cyclone in the world this year, although Cyclone Phailin, which hit eastern India on Oct. 12, packed winds of up to 138 mph and stronger gusts.

Typhoon Haiyan has sustained winds of 134 miles per hour and ferocious gusts of 155 mph and could strengthen over the Pacific Ocean before slamming the eastern province of Samar early Friday, government forecasters said.

It is speculated the storm will be among the strongest to form on Earth, already measuring Category 5 in intensity — the highest on the scale measuring tropical cyclones.