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[Nickbat]

Very sad to see the loss of life in the Philippines. 

The reporting of this storm, however, reveals a lack of basic mathematical skills among journalists.

Here's the BBC:

The storm made landfall shortly before dawn on Friday, bringing gusts that reached 379km/h (235 mph)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24878801

..and The Mail:

Typhoon Haiyan was a maximum category-five storm with ground winds of up to 235mph

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2494635/Philippines-super-typhoon-Haiyan-powerful-storm-history.html


However, the Philippine Met Agency, PAGASA, reports that, at landfall, the sustained wind was 235 kmh or 147 mph, with gusts up to 275 kmh or 171 mph.

Anyone notice the figure of 235? Yes, it was kmh, not mph, meaning that it was a Cat 4 typhoon, not Cat 5

Seems like the BBC and Mail confused Kmh and mph. 

A strong typhoon, yes, but not the biggest in history.

For more, see http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/11/09/supe-typhoon-haiyanyolanda-another-overhyped-storm-that-didnt-match-early-reports/#more-97127 

[Rods2]

Whenever have journalists let the facts get in the way of selling a sensationalist story,  or a voicemail pin if it comes to it.