Here are some of the similarities that Super Typhoon "Lawin" (international name: Haima) shares with Super Typhoon "Yolanda," (international name: Haiyan), which was considered as one of the most destructive typhoons in the history of the Philippines.

Both Lawin and Yolanda are considered as super typhoons.

Lawin:

- maximum sustained winds of 225 kilometers per hour

- gusts of 315 kph

- 800-kilometer diameter

Yolanda:

- maximum sustained winds of 235 kph

- gusts of 275 kph

- 600-kilometer diameter

According to PAGASA weather forecaster Jori Loiz, Yolanda moved faster compared to Lawin.

"Si Yolanda, napakabilis, so 'yung pag-ulan niya hindi masyadong naiipon sa isang lugar hindi katulad nitong si Lawin na much ang bagal niya, o mas mabagal siya kay Yolanda [Yolanda moved faster, so the rains did not fall in a single area, unlike Lawin which is moving slower than Yolanda]," he said.

In terms of storm surge, Lawin can be compared to Typhoon Juan in 2010, which brought storm surges of up to five meters.

From 1948 to 2015, PAGASA has recorded a total of eight typhoons which had the same track as Lawin, but it was Typhoon Iliang, which hit the country in October 1998, that has almost the same direction and intensity as Lawin.

"Kasi ang forecast natin ay maglandfall siya sa may Cagayan-Isabela area, tapos si Iliang ay doon talaga sa Isabela naglandfall," Rosa Barba, senior weather specialist, Climate Agromet Data Section of PAGASA, said.

PAGASA added that typhoons usually follow a west-northwest direction around October, hitting mostly areas in Luzon.

The state weather bureau reiterated that Lawin can be potentially destructive because of its diameter, as well as the heavy rains and strong winds that it will bring. - report from Bettina Magsaysay, ABS-CBN News