NASA Captures Image of Super-Typhoon Haiyan Lashing Southern Philippines

A massive typhoon lashed the central and southern Philippines on Nov. 7, bringing with it sustained winds of a Category 5 hurricane. Now, NASA has revealed visible, infrared and microwave satellite data to forecasters, revealing just how severe this super-typhoon is as it moves toward the west.

Named Super-Typhoon Haiyan, this storm is currently moving west. Early on Nov. 7, though, NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Super Typhoon Haiyan as it was approaching the Philippines. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard captured a visible image that showed the thick bands of powerful thunderstorms that surrounded the eye of the storm. The MODIS image also revealed a powerful, wide band of thunderstorms in the western quadrant that was affecting the Philippines in the early morning hours on Nov. 7.

"Haiyan has achieved tropical cyclone perfection," said Brian McNoldy, a Senior Research Associate at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, in a news release. "It is now estimated at 165kts (190 mph) with a 8.0 on the Dvorak scale...the highest possible value."

The Dvorak scale is used to measure tropical cyclone intensity. The scale itself ranges from 1.0 to 8.0 with 8.0 being the strongest available on the scale. In this category, sustained winds can reach up to 196 mph.

On Nov. 7, Super-Typhoon Haiyan's maximum sustained winds were at 189.9 mph. Yet gusts as strong as 230.2 mph were also recorded at the time. It's expected that this storm will cause catastrophic damage: a high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas and power outages will last for weeks to possibly months.

Currently, the storm is moving west-northwest at 25.3 mph and generating extremely rough seas with wave heights of up to 50 feet. The fact that warm waters are currently present in the area means that conditions are extremely favorable to the system. It's likely that Haiyan will be able to maintain its strength at super typhoon intensity through landfall in the central Philippines. Manila in particular is expected to be impacted by the northeastern quadrant, which is the strongest part of the storm.

Want to learn more about the storm's path? Check out the NASA website currently tracking the typhoon.