Super Typhoon Soudelor could be strongest on Earth this year
Monday, August 3, 2015, 3:39 PM - It's been a powerful season for hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons but if experts are correct Super Typhoon Soudelor could take the crown.
The powerful storm has quickly intensified over the Pacific as it continues its west-northwest track. Some meteorologists expect the super typhoon to reach speeds upward of 270 km/h.
The island of Saipan was the target of Soudelor as the storm intensified from a category 1 to a category 2, affecting the nearly 50,000 residents.
Loss of electricity, damaged buildings and flooded homes were reported across the province. At least 300 people were in emergency shelters as of Monday.
Soudelor will hit Ryuku islands, Japan at some point on Friday before moving toward Taiwan and China on the weekend.
Soudelor became the fifth super typhoon of the season (a super typhoon requires wind speeds of roughly 241 km/h) and is on track to become the sixth storm of the year to reach Category 5 strength. On average, there are between 4 and 5 storms like that every year.
One of the reasons behind the stronger storms may be El Niño, the warm pattern of El Nino Southern Oscillation. A study published in May found that warming temperatures are having an interesting consequence: a decreased amount of tropical cyclones but an increase in their intensity.