Super Typhoon Haiyan Hits Philippines as One of Strongest Storm on Ever Recorded – UPDATE 2

IR satellite imagery of Super Typhoon Haiyan at 1730Z, Novemember 7, 2013. Image courtesy U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center

Update 21:00 EST: Super Typhoon Haiyan “Off The Charts”

Update 17:00 EST: The storm went ashore at about 5 a.m. in Guiuan, eastern Samar, the Philippines Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said.

Haiyan had top winds of almost 196 miles (315 kilometers) per hour when it was about 489 miles southeast of Manila, the U.S. Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said at 2 p.m. East Coast time, with winds gusting to as high as 235 mph.

There has never been an Atlantic Hurricane this strong.

Update (14:30 EST) via Ocean Weather Services: Super Typhoon Haiyan (aka Yolanda) is closing in on the Philippines with sustained winds up to 170 knots. The radius of hurricane force winds, however. extends outward only 30-35NM to the south and 45-50NM to the north while 50kt winds extend outward 55-60NM south and 65-70NM north. The eye of Haiyan will move over the northern portion of the Leyte Gulf during the next few hours and across Leyte Island in about 4-8 hours..

As gCaptain’s unofficial ship routing meteorologist expert, Fred Pickhardt, points out, “this may be a record breaker.”

Brian McNoldy, a Senior Research Associate at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science in Miami, Fla. noted that on the morning (EST) of Nov. 7, “Haiyan has achieved tropical cyclone perfection. It is now estimated at 165kts (190mph), with an 8.0 on the Dvorak scale… the highest possible value.”

McNoldy later added that “Haiyan’s estimated intensity nudged up again to 170kts (195mph) and 895mb central pressure.”

Above is an infrared image from MODIS overpass at 8:45 EST this morning (courtesy of CIRA/RAMMB http://rammb.cira.colostate.edu via Brian McNoldy

MANILA, Nov 7 (Reuters) – Authorities in the Philippines grounded air and sea transport on Thursday and urged fishing boats to return to port, as an approaching super typhoon, the most powerful storm on earth this year, gathered speed.

Typhoon Haiyan is expected to make landfall early on Friday between the central islands of Samar and Leyte.

With centre winds of 215 kph (133 mph) and gusts of up to 250 kph, the storm, rated as category five, the most severe, was moving west-northwest at 33 kph in the Pacific Ocean.

President Benigno Aquino appealed to citizens to evacuate danger zones. “I am calling for community teamwork and cooperation,” he said on national television and radio.

Aquino said 100 coastal areas face the threat of storm surges, bringing waves higher than 5 m to 6 m, and ordered action by local officials to limit damage and loss of lives.

Thousands of residents were moved from coastlines, river banks, and mountain slopes to safer spots, while military transport vehicles were put on standby.

Strong winds and heavy rain buffeted areas in the path of the storm, as the state weather bureau raised alert levels in more than 20 parts of the central Philippines.

The coast guard suspended ferry operations, ordered a halt to fishing and warned deep-sea fishing boats to seek shelter or return to port. Carrier Cebu Pacific announced the suspension of more than 100 local flights.

Hospitals were put on alert, with schools and some offices shut and power and communication lines turned off for safety.

Officials used bullhorns to urge residents of coastal and upland villages to move to safer areas, as trees were trimmed and boats dragged to shore.

The state weather bureau raised storm alert to level 4 on the coconut-growing islands of Samar and Leyte. Officials in 12 more central provinces also began stockpiling food, water and relief supplies.

An estimated 10 million people face disruption from typhoon Haiyan, say international relief agencies that are stepping up operations to tackle the storm.

“The humanitarian impact of Haiyan threatens to be colossal, not only in areas directly in its path, but also for nearby islands such as Bohol,” said Patrick Fuller of the International Federation of Red cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Particularly vulnerable, he added, were thousands of people living in makeshift shelters on Bohol after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake last month that killed more than 200 people and displaced thousands.

An average of 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year. In 2011, typhoon Washi killed 1,200 people, displaced 300,000 and destroyed more than 10,000 homes.

In September, another category-five storm, typhoon Usagi, with central winds of 205 kph and gusts of up to 240 kph, battered the northern island of Batanes before causing damage in southern China.

Bopha, last year’s strongest storm, flattened three coastal towns on the southern island of Mindanao, killing 1,100 people and wreaking damage estimated at $1.04 billion. (Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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