Strongest typhoon of the year slams Philippines

The world's strongest typhoon of the year slammed into the Philippines early Friday. It had been poised to be the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded at landfall, a weather expert said.

"There will be catastrophic damage," said Jeff Masters, meteorology director at the private firm Weather Underground. The US Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii shortly before landfall said Typhoon Haiyan's maximum sustained winds were 314 kilometers per hour (195 mph), with gusts up to 379 kilometers per hour (235 mph). "195-mile-per-hour winds, there aren't too many buildings constructed that can withstand that kind of wind," Masters said. (AP)