Estimates by me may differ from official reports - Super Typhoon Yutu (Known in the Philippines as Typhoon Rosita) is the strongest storm ever to strike the Mariana Islands, at least in modern history. The storm started in the WPAC's MDR and exploded in intensity, reaching category 5 in no time. The storm struck the tiny island of Tinian at peak intensity, with winds of 185 mph and a pressure of 890 millibars. The storm looked immaculate on satelite, with a completely clear eye and a think ring of -80 degree cloud tops. The storm then weakened as it moved west due to an eyewall replacement cycle. Yutu maintained category 4 intensity for some time before briefly re-intensifying to a minimal category 5. The storm then began to weaken as it neared the coast of Luzon. The typhoon made landfall there as a category 2. The area was still recovering form Typhoon Mangkhut, which made a category 5 landfall there about a month prior. The storm weakened as it moved through the mountainous terrain of the Philippines. The storm then stalled and weakened off the west coast of Luzon and eventually dissipated. Wind damage in Saipan and Tinian was extreme, and the Philippines received major damage from flooding. Yutu was the strongest and most intense storm of 2018, and the final category 5 of the insane 2018 pacific typhoon season - Tags: #Scratchmaster295 #TropicalCyclone #Hurricane #Typhoon #SuperTyphoon #Meteorology #TyphoonYutu
