Typhoon Hagibis – how powerful is the category 5 storm and what are the worst super storms? – The Sun
TYPHOON Hagibis is rip-roaring towards the south of Japan at incredible speeds.
The super storm is currently category 5, but what does that mean? Read on to find out all we know about super storms, including the most deadly.
How powerful is category five storm, Hurricane Hagibis?
Hagibis has been categorised as a terrifying category 5 storm and is fast approaching Japan.
It has already disrupted the Rugby World Cup, forcing England’s showdown with France to be cancelled.
Typhoon Hagibis was dramatically described as the “most powerful storm in the world” by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US.
It's currently creating staggering 190mph winds, moving northwards over the Pacific Ocean and is due to hit Japan by October 12.
A category five storm is characterised when it hits speeds of over 157 mph.
This is according to the Saffir-Simpson scale, which was devised in 1971 by civil engineer Herbert Saffir and meteorologist Robert Simpson.
It was introduced to the public in 1973 as a means of communicating the danger of upcoming storms so that populations could better prepare.
The scale was tweaked in 2009 to remove air pressure and storm surge ranges, transforming it into a pure measurement of wind scale.
It helps to paint a clear picture of the damage to buildings that can be expected from hurricane force winds.
But it does not take account of the potential devastation caused by monsoon downpours or tidal storm surges caused by the low air pressure.
What are the worst superstorms?
The world has experienced some horrific superstorms.
The largest typhoons are called super typhoons, which means a storm that has sustained winds of more than 150 miles per hour.
Tragically, typhoons and cyclones tend to cause more deaths than their hurricane counterparts – especially when they hit an underdeveloped area.
Read on to find out what the top ten deadliest were.
10. Cyclone Nargis, Myanmar in 2008 – 138, 366 deaths
9. Cyclone 02B, Bangladesh in 1991 – 138, 866 deaths
8. Super Typhoon Nina, China in 1975 – 171, 000 deaths
7. Chittagong, Bangladesh in 1897 – 175,000 deaths
6. Great Backerganj Cyclone, Bangladesh in 1867 – 200, 000 deaths
5. Backerganj Cyclone, Bangladesh in 1584 – 200, 000 deaths
4. Coringa, India in 1839 – 300,000 deaths
3. Haiphong Typhoon, Vietnam in 1881 – 300, 000 deaths
2. Hooghly River Cyclone, India and Bangladesh in 1737 – 300, 000 deaths
1. Great Bhola Cyclone, Bangladesh in 1970 – 3000,000-500,000 deaths
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