Terrifying satellite images of the tropical cyclones pummeling Australia

By Chelsea Harvey From Business Insider

FRIDAY 19 2015
Australia is on the verge of being pummeled by not one, but two powerful cyclones in a rare double-whammy by Mother Nature.

Cyclone Lam made landfall in the Northern Territory as a Category 4 storm around 2 a.m. Friday morning local time. And Cyclone Marcia — now ranked at a catastrophic Category 5 — hit several hours later Friday morning.

NASA captured the above image of Lam making landfall in the Northern Territory on Friday, and other sources have taken to Twitter to document the two storms with photos and satellite images.

In order to qualify as a Category 4 hurricane, a storm must sustain winds of at least 130 miles per hour, and a Category 5 storm carries winds of at least 157 miles per hour.

Local news outlets are reporting that Cyclone Lam has since downgraded to a Category 3 storm. The storm is expected to continue to weaken as it moves inland. Marcia, in the meantime, is expected to pummel with winds up to 177 miles per hour.

IMAGES:
Lam NASA Cyclone Lam making landfall in Australia’s Norther Territory early Friday morning.
The two cyclones simultaneously approaching the northern and eastern coasts
Another view of the two cyclones by satellite:
Cyclone Marcia approaching Australia’s eastern shore:
A view of Marcia’s impending storm clouds from the Brisbane airport:
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