Photos: Biggest Storm In History Hit Philippines

HURRICANE? CYCLONE? TYPHOON? They're all the same, officially tropical cyclones. But they just use distinctive terms for a storm in different parts of the world. Hurricane is used in the Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, central and northeast Pacific. 

They are typhoons in the northwest Pacific. In the Bay of Bengal and the Arabia Sea, they are called cyclones. Tropical cyclone is used in the southwest India Ocean; in the southwestern Pacific and southeastern India Ocean they are severe tropical cyclones.

A powerful typhoon ripped through the Philippines last Friday, killing more than 1200 people, and leaving many more injured with millions displaced from their homes. 

The typhoon, named Haiyan, ranks among the world’s strongest with winds of up to 235mph and gusts of 170mph which left a trail of destruction. 

It triggered major landslides, knocked out power and communications and caused catastrophic widespread damage. Hundreds of homes have been flattened and scores of streets flooded. Victims’ dead bodies littered the streets. 

The storm is now moving towards mainland Asian and is expected to reach Vietnam coastal areas on Sunday morning while humanitarian experts estimate the number of casualties will rise considerably.