(Image source: The Weather Channel / Weather Underground)
BY COLLIN RUANE
A massive tropical cyclone half the size of India is zeroing in on the country home to
more than one billion people.
As of Friday, meteorologists say winds from Cyclone Phailin are clocking in at about 170
miles per hour.
Those wind speeds would easily make it comparable to a category five hurricane.
(Via The Weather Channel)
Not only is the storm strong — it's been developing quickly.
The Washington Post reports the storm's winds shot up more than 80 miles per hour in an
18-hour period between Wednesday and Thursday.
That type of extreme intensity is very rare.
Meteorologists say Phailin's large size and intensity are similar to the strength of Hurricane
Katrina back in 2005 and could have similar devastating effects in northeast India.
(Via WEWS)
One of the reasons Phailin is so intense is the Bay of Bengal's high water temperature.
It's possible the storm could strengthen more because of it.
(Via Al Jazeera)
NDTV points out India also has some of the strongest tropical systems in the world.
Back in 1999, a similar storm struck India, killing more than 15,000 people.
Indian government officials say the country is more prepared this time around.
One of the states in India expected to be hit the hardest is home to more than 40 million
people overall, and 700 people per square mile.
USA Today notes the Bay of Bengal is the same place where almost three-fourths of the world's
35 deadliest tropical systems have formed.
Forty years ago, a strong cyclone hit Bangladesh killing more than 300,000 people.
The death toll in India shouldn't be that high as residents expected to be hardest hit
have been evacuated from the coastline.
Cyclone Phailin is expected to make landfall in India sometime Saturday.