© NOAAThis satellite image shows typhoon Yutu swirling east of Visayas.
It feels as though 2018 is the year of rapid intensification. Storm after storm after storm has spun up from humble begins to cyclonic monster around the world.The latest cyclone to join the ignominious club is Typhoon Yutu, which is in the midst of spinning up into a forecast Category 5 super typhoon by tomorrow. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands lie squarely in the typhoon's path.
Yutu spent all of Tuesday local time ramping up and as of the latest Joint Typhoon Warning Center bulletin, it had estimated winds of 204km/h. That's the equivalent of a very strong Category 3 storm, and with nothing but warm water in its path, Yutu is expected to continuing amping up.
The storm's winds could be roaring around 250km/h as it approaches Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands on Thursday morning local time.
The National Weather Service Guam office has
posted a typhoon warning calling for powerful surf and up to 15cm of rain. The hilly terrain of Guam will be but a speed bump for Yutu, which is forecast to keep climbing in intensity through the end of the week.
Its winds could reach an astounding 277km/h, which would put it among the strongest storm on Earth this year. Thankfully, it will achieve that terrifying feat over open water with no threat to land.
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