It ’s call in Super Typhoon Usagi — and it ’s picking up serious steam as it churns off in the western Pacific Ocean . Now the eq of a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane , it ’s poised to murder some of the most obtusely inhabit regions in the world , including Taiwan , the northern Philippines , and Hong Kong .
A “ super typhoon ” is the designation given to a tropical storm with maximal sustained flatus reaching at least 150 mph ( 240 km / 60 minutes ) . Usagi , which is now the most hefty violent storm of 2013 , has been clocked at 184 mph ( 296 km / hr ) .
The violent storm underwent a period of rapid intensification from former Wednesday through high noon Thursday ( EST ) , transforming from a tropical tempest into a super typhoon in just 33 hours . That ’s an intensification of 100 mph ( 160 km / hr ) .
It presently have a monumental diameter of 620 mile ( 1,000 km ) , with extinct rain striation extending across the main northern Philippine island of Luzon and southern Taiwan . The tempest is pack 24 - time of day rainfall accrual of 20 inches ( 500 millimeters ) near its center .
As of this morning , Usagi was 350 Roman mile ( 560 km ) eastward - southeast of Taiwan and 224 miles ( 360 km ) from the northern Philippines .
Taiwan has already evacuate hundreds of citizenry from flood tide - prone orbit near cities and in remote cragged regions .
The typhoon is expected to hit China over the weekend .
The Weather Channelhighlights the potential forecast impactsby location :
Taiwan
Closest approach of center of Usagi : Saturday afternoon , local time .
The most likely path for the center of Usagi is to come about near the southern tip of Taiwan at that time . This would put Taiwan in the most grievous easterly semicircle of Usagi .
likely impacts : Surge flooding / clobber waves ( eastern coast specially ) , damaging idle words ( in particular southerly Taiwan ) , flooding rainfall / mudslide ( fundamental , easterly Taiwan ) .
Northern Philippines
The centre of Usagi will likely pass off north of the N coast of Luzon from late Friday into Saturday , local time .
likely impacts : Coastal implosion therapy / high surf along the north seacoast of Luzon , stripe of locally heavy pelting ( trigger photoflash flooding / mudslides ) , some wind terms potential .
Hong Kong
Closest approach of center of Usagi : Sunday evening / nighttime , local time .
Current forecast anticipates Usagi will weaken before reaching southern China , but still may be a Category 1 , 2 or 3 equivalent organization .
possible impacts : These will depend on accurate track of Usagi ’s center Sunday . It is still too soon to presage these impacts .
Hong Kong is one of the most densely dwell regions of the world , with over 7.1 million residents .
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