Super typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan), the world's strongest tropical cyclone of 2013, is packing winds in excess of 300 kilometers per hour, the US military said early Friday morning, just before the cyclone made landfall in the Visayas.
The US Navy and Air Force's Joint Typhoon Warning Center, in its Super Typhoon 31W Warning No. 19, said Yolanda has maximum sustained winds of 315 kph (170 knots) and gusts reaching 380 kph (205 knots).
The Hawaii-based weather center, which data is used by meteorologists worldwide, based is readings on one-minute average measurements.
"Due to very favorable environmental conditions, [Yolanda] is expected to remain at super typhoon intensity over the next 24 hours," it added.
To compare, similar Category 5 level storms this year -- Usagi, Francisco, Lekima, and Phailin -- only had maximum sustained winds of 260 kph.
