The Hong Kong Observatory uses a new tropical cyclone classification scheme with effect from 2009 (see previous article on this).  It consists of 6 categories as follows:

In November 2009, Nida over the western North Pacific developed into a Super Typhoon.  It had gone through all the 6 intensity classifications during its life cycle.  Satellite pictures capturing images of Nida during each of the intensity classifications are shown below.  This series of satellite pictures constitutes a good reference for readers interested in tropical cyclone.  From the series of satellite pictures, the increasingly organized banding feature of Nidas cloud as a swirl became progressively more prominent as it intensified from a tropical depression into a severe tropical storm (Figure 1-3).  An eye developed as Nida intensified into a typhoon (Figure 4) and the eye became smaller and yet more well-defined as Nida developed further into a super typhoon (Figure 5-6).