Hurricane Ian as seen from the International Space Station Digital Trends Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Hurricane Ian as seen from the International Space Station

September 26, 2022 Share is seen about 260 miles below the space station as the storm was gaining strength south of Cuba and moving toward Florida at around 3pm ET on Monday, Sept 26, 2022. — International Space Station (@Space_Station) Hurricane Ian’s astonishing size and strength has led forecasters to suggest it could cause some serious damage when it reaches Florida on Wednesday, with those in its path advised to take appropriate action to stay safe. Local news channels are offering up-to-date information on the hurricane’s path. Alternatively, head to the website for the latest updates. For a small fee, the Hurricane Tracker smartphone app for and , which uses NHC data to relay storm news as it comes in, is also an option. The app costs $3 and offers customizations for alerts on newly formed storms or for when a weather system reaches land, among other features. As you’d expect, The Weather Channel also provides timely updates on incoming storms. Here’s . It’s not the first time that the space station has beamed back extraordinary images of extreme weather systems battering Earth far below. Just over a week ago, for example, current ISS astronaut Bob Hines posted incredible images of Typhoon Nanmadol, a powerful weather system that struck Japan, with the loss of four lives. “It’s incredible how something that seems so beautiful from space can be so terrible on Earth,” Hines tweeted. It's incredible how something that seems so beautiful from space can be so terrible on Earth…Praying for the safety of those in the path of Typhoon Nanmadol. — Bob "Farmer" Hines (@Astro_FarmerBob) In 2020, NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy captured these shots of as it came close to the Baja California peninsula: — Chris Cassidy (@Astro_SEAL) And just a few days later, the same astronaut snapped these extraordinary images of as it approached communities along the Gulf Coast: Views of Hurricane Laura taken from today. Stay safe everyone. — Chris Cassidy (@Astro_SEAL) Making 16 orbits of Earth a day at a speed of around 17,000 mph, the space station has a pretty good chance of passing over extreme weather systems when they develop, giving astronauts on board the opportunity to capture them before sharing the content on social media and also with NASA’s platform.

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