Who knew a super-typhoon could look so peaceful? This view of typhoon Maysak, captured from the International Space Station by European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti on Tuesday, shows the destructive storm as it made its presence visible far above our planet. "Commands respect even from #space," Cristoforetti tweeted.
Back on Earth, Maysak is rather less calming. The category 4 typhoon swept across the western Pacific on Tuesday, killing at least five people on an island in Micronesia and causing extensive damage to buildings. It is expected to hit the Philippines on Sunday, but with lower wind speeds than previously expected. Although that makes it unlikely to threaten life or destroy property, the government is urging people to exercise caution, especially those travelling over the Easter holiday.
Maysak is kicking off the region's summer storms earlier than usual, as super-typhoons typically start to hit in April. It is only the fifth to spin up earlier than that since records began in the 1940s.
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