On September 3, aerospace engineer Nick Underwood tweeted: “In 12 hours I’ll be on a flight into a hurricane.” Those who know Underwood were aware that he didn’t intend it as a joke. For he would, in fact, be on a flight into Hurricane Irma, which has been reported to be among the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean.

Underwoord posted a video (above) which he filmed while flying through the storm, and it is every bit as frightening as one might imagine. His plane rattles and shakes with the turbulence and the window is splashed with incessant rain.

The hurricane-hunter also gives a preview of what he’s been sent up to do – collect data about the storm from devices dropped into it, which will then help predict the trajectory and speed of the storm.