Five best views of Category 4 Super Typhoon Vongfong

Friday, October 10, 2014, 1:04 PM -

Super typhoon Vonfong is currently 560 kilometres to the west of Taiwan with sustained winds of a 225kph. It is currently the equivalent of a category 4 storm, with wind gusts in excess of 266kph.

On Wednesday, Vongfong was declared the most intense tropical cyclone of 2014 with a central pressure of 900mb.

The typhoon has since weakened slightly and is expected to slowly deteriorate as it tracks northwards towards southern Japan.

However, Vongfong is still expected to be a powerful typhoon as it approaches the southern islands of Japan on Sunday night or Monday morning, with gusts forecast to be around 185kph.

Vongfong is then expected to track north-eastwards across Japan, bringing strong winds and heavy rains to much of the country early next week.

Here are five of the best views of Category 4 Super Typhoon Vongfong:

1. The storm as a Category 5 on Wednesday via NOAA:

2. VIIRS infrared imager aboard NASA's Suomi NPP polar-orbiting satellite, depicts the storm at peak intensity. 

The red to gray hues around the eye represent extremely cold cloud tops that indicate towering thunderheads, likely extending up to 50,000 feet or more in height.

3. Computer model simulation showing the surface winds flowing in and around Super Typhoon Vongfong via Earth Null.

4. West Pacific visible image reveals Super Typhoon Vongfong and 952 mb, hurricane force post-tropical low of Phanfone via Ocean Prediction Center

5. Infrared satellite image from NOAA shows the storm looking like a donut on Tuesday -- which is a sign of a well-organized, violent storm.

With files from Weather Network Meteorologist Chris Burton