The Philippines are about to get wrecked by one of the strongest storms in history.

By: Unknown on 03:21

Share it Please

Tweet

  

Typhoon Haiyan approaching the Philippines (13:00 UTC 07/11/2013)

The central Philippines is about to get hit by what’s already being considered the most powerful storm on the planet this year, and one of the most intense tropical cyclones ever recorded. Haiyan — or, as it’s known in the Philippines, Yolanda — is expected to make landfall Friday.

Until then, according Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Haiyan could get even better. But as the Washington Post points out, it’s already come close to reaching the theoretical maximum intensity possible for a cyclone.

“It is a perfectly symmetrical storm with the eye completely clear so it is as strong as you can get,” said Weather Channel lead meteorologist Michael Palmer, who warned that the storm will likely cause a “significant loss of life.”

CNN reports on the preparations being made, noting that the 350,000 people displaced by last month’s massive earthquake may be especially vulnerable: