Images of a dangerously beautiful whirlpool-like eye can be seen in the most recent Super Typhoon Mawar update as the strongest typhoon reaches a peak wind speed of 185 MPH.

Super Typhoon Mawar: Strongest Typhoon Since 2021

After pummeling Guam, Super Typhoon Mawar became the planet's strongest tropical cyclone since 2021.

Mawar, which was over the Western Pacific Ocean waters on Thursday (US Eastern Daylight Time), intensified into the level of a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 185 mph.

According to data gathered by Colorado State University, that surpasses Freddy and Mocha, the two typhoons that tracked in the Indian Ocean as the strongest tropical cyclone in 2023.

Additionally, it was predicted that Mawar's winds would be the strongest for a tropical cyclone following September 2021's Super Typhoon Chanthu.

As of Friday morning, the super typhoon's top winds had dropped to 165 mph.

Dangerously Beautiful Whirlpool-Like Eye

With the strongest typhoon still tracking, weather satellites have been relaying images to weather stations so that experts can inform the public of the current situation. As expected, images from satellites have been shared through various platforms including social media. A few could only be described as "dangerously beautiful."

The Favorite

From Himawari-9, satellite images of the super typhoon have been shared for information purposes and to aid in preparation of Mawar's power. Himawari-9 has various bands showing Mawar in different renderings that come with their respective data sets. Since these satellite images were shared on social media, it is expected that a crowd favorite will be hailed.

The social media favorite is a high-resolution, zoomed-in image of Super Typhoon Mawar via Himawari-9's band 3 where it is shown as an image of what a person can see if the typhoon is viewed from space.

The eyewall surrounds the almost cloudless eye. According to The Weather Channel, this area commonly comprises the most intense winds. RAMMB-CIRA Satellite Library posted videos of Mawar on its website, showing the dynamic regaining of the eye of the superstorm.

Also Read: US Weather Forecast: Rainy, Stormy Conditions Likely to Unfold in Northeast US 

Other Mawar Satellite Images

Washington Post showed a satellite image of Mawar having lighter, seemingly pastel colors. Although the news outlet did not mention the band it was taken in, the satellite photo was said to be taken by Himawari on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, Himawari-9's Band 13 shows an infrared image of the super typhoon. According to CIMSS Satelite Blog, visible imaging showed mesovortices inside the eye, as well as a "stadium effect" geometry in the eye-two characteristics that are frequently connected to strong tropical cyclones.

JMA's Himawari-9

Himawari-9 is a satellite launched to replace Himawari-8 in 2016. It is the second flight unit of the Himawari 3rd generation program with the main mission of operational meteorology. It has secondary missions that have environmental applications. According to OSCAR, Himawari-9 is slated to run until around 2030.

Related Article: Super Typhoon Mawar Develops into Category 4 Storm in US Territory Guam Landfall