Eye of a monster: Terrifying images of Hurricane Irma, 2017’s strongest storm on Earth

(This post, originally posted Tuesday afternoon, was updated Wednesday afternoon with new imagery.)

Hurricane Irma is about as intense as storms get in the Atlantic Ocean. The powerhouse Category 5 storm packs winds of 185 mph — making it this year’s strongest storm on Earth so far.

Extreme Category 5 Irma crashes into Caribbean, sets sights on Florida and Southeast U.S.

The storm also ranks as one of the most powerful hurricanes ever observed in the Atlantic Ocean and bears close resemblance to the super typhoons that form in the western Pacific Ocean.