With wind speeds exceeding 190 miles an hour (305 kilometers an hour), super typhoon Haiyan—known as Yolanda in the Philippines—is the equivalent of a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean.

Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons are all the same rotating ocean storm phenomenon; scientists just call them different names depending on where they occur. [See "Typhoon, Hurricane, Cyclone: What's the Difference?"]

Forecasters predict Haiyan will  make landfall on Friday morning in the archipelago's central islands, many of which are still recovering from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the region last month.

"If Haiyan holds its strength and makes landfall in the Philippines, it would definitely be the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year, and that's saying a lot," said