Passers-by with umbrellas struggle against strong winds and heavy rain caused by Typhoon Phanfone, in Tokyo October 6, 2014. Hundreds of flights were canceled and thousands of people advised to evacuate as a powerful typhoon lashed Japan on Monday with he
Passers-by with umbrellas struggle against strong winds and heavy rain caused by Typhoon Phanfone, in Tokyo October 6, 2014. Hundreds of flights were canceled and thousands of people advised to evacuate as a powerful typhoon lashed Japan on Monday with heavy rains and high winds, leaving at least one person dead as it headed towards Tokyo. REUTERS/Issei Kato REUTERS/Issei Kato

Barely a week after Typhoon Phanfone thrashed over Japan, the country is in for another major dumpster by the end of the week with Super Typhoon VongFong. Now a category 5 hurricane, it has been dubbed as 2014's strongest cyclone.

VongFong currently has sustained winds of 288 kph (180 mph) and gusts approaching 354 kph (220 mph). Monitoring weather models 24/7, experts said this major storm dumpster could match, if not surpass, the intensity of 2013's deadly typhoon Haiyan.

Although it is already near its peak intensity, the Weather Channel said it is still possible that VongFong may strengthen a bit more. Vongfong dumped over 75 millimetres (3 inches) of rainfall to the Northern Mariana Islands on Sunday. Damaging wind gusts were recorded at over 89 kph (55 mph).

The eye of Vongfong, as of 3 a.m. Japanese time Wednesday (2 p.m. EDT Tuesday in the U.S.), was spotted 700 miles south-southeast of Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, moving 10 mph westwards.

Citing data from the Japan Meteorological Agency, The Weather Channel reported Vongfong has surpassed Genevieve as the most intense western Pacific typhoon of 2014. It noted Vongfong is now 2014's third "violent typhoon," based on the JMA typhoon intensity scale, next to Genevieve and Halong.

Read: 3 US Airmen Swept Away in Japan by Typhoon Phanfone, Presumed Dead After Taking Pictures of Large Waves

"It's safe to say Vongfong is the strongest storm on earth since Haiyan last year," Michael Lowry, storm specialist for The Weather Channel, said. Haiyan's maximum sustained winds was recorded at 195 mph by JTWC when it blasted into the Philippines in November 2013, killing more than 6,000 people.

AccuWeather.com predicts VongFong, although expected to slow down, will make landfall in mainland Japan by early next week. The northern Ryukyu Islands will be its first target by early Saturday or Saturday night.

Later Saturday night into Sunday, typhoon-force wind gusts could occur across the islands along with torrential downpours, Eric Leister, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist, said.

Others forecast to experience the potential wrath of VongFong are Okinawa, Kyushu, Shikoku, and central and eastern Honshu. Residents are advised to brace for high winds, heavy rain and storm surge flooding.