Typhoon Nock-ten, or Nina, is one of the worst late-season tropical storms that this region of the Pacific has seen in decades, and it’s likely to hit Manila, capital of the Philippines, on Boxing Day.
According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre, heavy rain and powerful winds (we’re talking gusts of almost 300 km/hr) have increased over the ocean in recent days, earning Nock-ten a classification of Category 4: or super typhoon.
If the ‘super typhoon’ label wasn’t terrifying enough, then just look at the satellite footage of this motherfucker:
#Nockten has intensified into a supertyphoon with 150 mph winds – the strongest NW Pacific TC this late in the season since Susan (1963). pic.twitter.com/t9t2MDo42Y
— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) December 24, 2016
Scary visible loop of Typhoon #Nockten in the west Pacific, headed for the #Philippines – #Himawari rapid scan pic.twitter.com/rKQ1abEWZg
— Dan Lindsey (@DanLindsey77) December 24, 2016
Philippine authorities have begun evacuating thousands of people living in the regions expected to be hit by Nock-ten, and flights have been cancelled around the country. It is hoped that the typhoon will slow down once it reaches land – and then decrease even further once it gets to Manila, a city home to over 1.5 million people.
We’ll update this story as it develops.
