I was only made aware of this because I happen to work with a Filipino at the moment, but Super Typhoon Haiyan (or Yolanda in the Philippines) is now closing in on the Philippines with sustained winds of 190 mph. This is a storm of rare and phenomenal strength. And this is not overstatement. As Dr. Masters wrote this morning:
Since 1969, only three tropical cyclones have equaled Haiyan's 190 mph sustained winds-
and the potential for cataclysmic destruction tonight is very high and very likely, for later he writes:
... the last Category 5 storm to hit the Philippines--Super Typhoon Bopha, which hit the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on December 3, 2012--did cause a catastrophe. The typhoon left 1901 people dead, mostly on the island of Mindanao, making Bopha the 2nd deadliest typhoon in Philippine history. With damages estimated at $1.7 billion, Bopha was the costliest natural disaster in Philippines history at the time.
Now, these extreme events interest me because I am an architect, and we're constantly dealing with structural design/ shelter, and life safety issues. Well, not only is 190 mph pretty much near the extreme end of sustained wind load designs for any modern building, the 230 mph wind gusts this freak of a storm is now bringing is way over the 200 mph which is a typical top end design load number. At those speeds, you are pretty much reliant on the ultimate theoretical strength of your bldg envelope's materials and structural frame (if not just sheer luck) to avoid failure of your shelter.
230 mph winds are F3 and low F4 tornado strength wind speeds. So already we are into some very dangerous territory with regard to your shelter's strength. Unlike a tornado, you are not safe below ground if you are in a storm surge zone. This storm is bringing 15 and 17 ft surges. From what I can see safe shelter locations will be very hard to find for this storm, because as you climb in topographic elevation, you are into higher wind speed zones as you rise above sea level. Regardless, if you are near any kind of reinforced-concrete structure you had better get into it. High or low elevation. This is absolutely a storm from hell.
And climate change? I have no doubt this is just more evidence it's here now.
Did I say Hell? We seem to be living in it these days.
UPDATE:
Since I wrote this a few minutes ago the lowest pressure reading has just come in: 862 mb and 195 MPH winds. This is pretty scary freakish as anything below 900 mb is rare and an indication of deadly strength.
Also, Jeff Masters wrote:
Haiyan has the most spectacular appearance I've ever seen on satellite loops, with a prominent eye surrounded by a huge, impenetrable-looking mass of intense eyewall thunderstorms with tops that reach into the lower stratosphere
.
UPDATE: 858 mb being reported. Never seen before in recorded history:
From WGN Chicago's Tom Skilling,
There's just been a satellite estimate that Super Typhoon Haiyan's central pressure has reached 858 mb (25.34"). If true, that would make it the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded.