A “super typhoon” of historic power is battering the Philippines with sustained winds of 235 kilometers per hour.  Meteorologists say it could be the most powerful storm ever to make landfall, certainly the most powerful to hit the planet this year.

More than 125,000 people have been forced to evacuate their home.  Schools and businesses have been closed in the path of the storm.  Coastal areas are being slammed with seven-meter storm surges.  There have already numerous reports of roofs blown off and communications cut.  The Red Cross says this storm is worse than the typhoon that hit last year, killing a thousand people.

The governor of the Southern Leyte province, Roger Mercado, tweeted on Friday morning that fallen trees were blocking roads, hampering the initial relief effort.  The region was already struggling to recover from an earthquake three weeks ago.

The storm is not expected to directly hit the capital Manila, further north, which has more of an infrastructure to withstand it.  The central Philippines are much less developed, with many homes built of rickety timber and corrugated panels.

The super typhoon is called Yolanda in the Philippines, and Typhoon Haiyan elsewhere.  It’s expected to move west towards Vietnam and Laos, maintaining typhoon strength.