Hinnamnor, a super typhoon with wind speed of 241 kmph, is charging towards Japan

A monster storm brewing in the East China Sea is set to hit the western part of Japan and southern parts of South Korea the hardest, weather reports say. Super Typhoon Hinnamnor is a category-5 hurricane with a wind speed of about 241 kmph. 

In just three days, STY #Hinnamnor (#HenryPH) now has the highest Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) by any tropical cyclone in the Western Pacific basin this 2022, with 19.1 (as of 00 UTC, September 1).

It has surpassed TY #Malakas last April, with ACE of 17.0. pic.twitter.com/yz3dU8YR5H

— Matthew Cuyugan (@MatthewCuyugan) September 1, 2022

Here are some facts about the storm which is considered the strongest one of 2022 so far: 

Where will it make an impact? Hinnamnor is moving eastward towards Japan and is set to affect Okinawa and a few islands nearby the hardest. Southern parts of South Korea will also be affected along with some light impact on the Chinese east coast. 

Earlier, meteorological agencies around the world had expected the storm to weaken into a category 4 or category 3 typhoon, but that has not happened yet. 

Western Pacific Summary#THIRTEEN#HINNAMNOR
August 31, 2022 0600h UTC pic.twitter.com/cD96r8INEV

— The Hurricane Bot (@TheHurricaneBot) August 31, 2022

Warnings: A thunderstorm alert has been issued in several parts of Japan. AccuWeather also reported several warnings like:

1. Life-threatening floods
2. Destructive wind gusts
3. Storm surge
4. Dangerous seas
5. Disruptions to the energy and commerce sector
6. Violent winds and high waves near coastal areas. 

How is the storm moving? NHK News reported that "the typhoon is likely to become stationary over the seas south of Okinawa on Friday and then move north to come closer again to the prefecture". According to reports on September 1, the storm was moving southwards near Taiwan. 

Hinnamnor is the 11th tropical storm of 2022 that has developed into a typhoon.

Meteorologist Dr Jake Carstens described Hinnamnor as having "textbook traits" of strongest storms with "perfectly concentric eyewalls" and "self-induced erratic wobbling motion".

It's rare to get such persistent high-quality radar data on a West Pacific typhoon. #Hinnamnor has textbook traits reserved for the strongest storms:

- Almost perfectly concentric eyewalls, separated by a "moat" of weaker rain
- Self-induced erratic wobbling motion pic.twitter.com/SEzDUlEk90

— Dr. Jake Carstens (@JakeCarstens) August 31, 2022

Typhoon chasers are already in action to see the impact of the superstorm in person. 

Current thoughts, chasing #typhoon #Hinnamnor in the Ryuku islands #japan pic.twitter.com/OvR1rhpFUV

— James Reynolds (@EarthUncutTV) September 1, 2022