Super Typhoon Vongfong, is all set to hit the islands of Kadena and Okinawa before making a landfall at Japan by the weekend. Both the islands are of strategic importance, as these act as some of the largest military bases for US in Pacific ocean.
Earlier on Tuesday, Super Typhoon Vongfong had intensified into the strongest tropical cyclone of 2014 after growing rapidly overnight on Monday. According to Joint Typhoon Warning Center, USA, maximum sustained winds had reached its peak when they had skyrocketed to an estimated 180 mph, which is equivalent of a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane. With this, Vongfong has become the fifth super typhoon of 2014.
However on Wednesday, it had started weakening slightly but still maintains the maximum winds of 165 mph, just as it is about to turn northwards towards Japan. Japan Meteorological Agency reported that with the US military islands in its sight on Saturday and Sunday, the landfall on Japan would be sometime during Monday night. According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, ocean waves are expected to be 40-50 feet high.
Around 24,000 US and Japanese military personnel and contractors are stationed at the Kadena Air Base. As deadly cyclone approaches, people at these islands have already started stocking up food and water supplies, and fuel.
Maximum winds of the Super Typhoon Vongfong are rated as the highest winds of any tropical cyclone since Super Typhoon Haiyan's 195 mph winds of November 7, 2013. Reportedly, Haiyan had caused lot of casualties in Philippines last November.
