See this year's strongest storm from SPACE: Terrifying NASA satellite image shows Super Typhoon Ragasa as it barrels towards China with 177mph winds

From space it looks almost serene – at least in contrast to the violent destruction it's causing on the ground. 

A new NASA image shows Typhoon Ragasa as it appears from space – a 1,000–mile–wide mass of warm, moist air, swirling around a central point. 

The image, captured by NASA's Terra satellite at 01:40 Universal Time on September 23, shows the powerful and active tropical cyclone on its path westwards.

Typhoon Ragasa has already passed through Taiwan, Philippines and Hong Kong, flooding streets, uprooting trees, collapsing bridges and ripping apart buildings. 

More than 20 people in the region have died due to Typhoon Ragasa so far, while more than 150 people are reportedly unaccounted for. 

The storm is due to reach China today, where residents are bracing for the worst. 

'Life in several Chinese cities is at a standstill as more than two million people have been evacuated from homes, schools and workplaces.  

With top winds more than 177 miles per hour, the super typhoon is ranked as the strongest typhoon of the year. 

Typhoon Ragasa emerged on September 18 in the western Pacific Ocean a few hundred miles east of the Philippines before travelling west. 

But periods of rapid intensification soon brought it to 'Category 5' strength – the most extreme classification indicating that 'catastrophic damage will occur'. 

On Monday, it hit the northern Philippines, killing at least two people while triggering floods, landslides and damage to property. 

Heavy rains from Ragasa have already caused a lake barrier to burst in Taiwan's eastern Hualien county, killing 14 people. 

One Taiwanese resident described it as a 'disaster movie' when the decades–old dam wall burst, washing away a bridge and sweeping into a town with a trail of thick sludge and mud. 

Typhoon Ragasa has been battering Hong Kong today with hurricane–force winds and torrential rain, shutting schools and grounding flights. 

Generally, tropical cyclones will begin to weaken once over land, because the storm lacks moisture and heat sources provided by the ocean. 

However, as it approaches China, Ragasa is expected to weaken only slightly. 

According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the storm is moving through a 'highly favorable environment characterized by strong radial outflow, warm sea surface temperatures, and low vertical wind shear'. 

It's barreling towards tens of millions of people in southern China, including the densely populated cities of Shenzhen and Guangzhou. 

Guangdong authorities have already evacuated over 770,000 people, state broadcaster CCTV reported. 

From his vantage point 250 miles above Earth, NASA astronaut Jonny Kim posted photos on X of how the 'violent' typhoon appears from space. 

'From orbit, the view is breathtaking, but on the ground, this storm brings real danger and hardship,' Kim said. 

'Thoughts are with everyone in its path, and with the first responders and communities preparing to weather it.' 

Tropical cyclones consist of rotating, moist columns of air, filled with water vapour and ice crystals. 

Like giant engines, they use warm, moist air as fuel – which is why they form only over warm ocean waters near the equator. 

The Western Pacific typhoon season spans the entire year, but most storms form between May and November, with a peak in activity in late August and early September. 

As of September 23, 19 named typhoons had formed in 2025, though only two had achieved Category 3 or higher strength for a sustained period. 

Although they are natural hazards, some scientists believe tropical cyclones are made more intense by human–caused global warming. 

In a changed climate, when tropical cyclones form they form in a climate that is warmer, wetter, and more energetic than before. 

As a result, tropical cyclones can intensify more quickly, reach stronger wind speeds, and release more rain, says Climate Council. 

They may also retain their strength for longer, and move more slowly – meaning they linger longer over a given area, causing more damage. 

Riding upon higher sea levels, they may also bring even more dangerous storm surges and coastal flooding.