Hurricane Hunters capture incredible footage flying through historic Hurricane Irma
As Hurricane Irma takes a buzzsaw to islands in the Caribbean, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is giving the world an intense aerial view of the Category 5 storm.
NOAA's Hurricane Hunters Twitter account shared incredible footage captured from a Tuesday flight, showing the brave team flying into the eye of Irma — which had sustained winds of 185 miles per hour on Tuesday — in an attempt to learn more about the storm.
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The clip gives a unique view from Irma's eye and a clearer look at what's known as the stadium effect — when the clouds of the hurricane's eyewall curve, giving the eye a domed effect.
The official Twitter account for the U.S. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters also shared a photograph of a stunning aerial glimpse of the hurricane illuminated by the moon.
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As of right now Irma is already one of most intense storms on record in the Atlantic, making landfall in Barbuda on Wednesday morning.
In the coming days Irma is expected to make its way towards Florida or the Carolinas, as well as threatening islands like Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba.
Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.
