Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration filmed inside the eye of Hurricane Florence on Monday, September 10, as parts of the US braced for the impact of the Category 4 storm this week.

This timelapse video was captured by aerospace engineer Nick Underwood from the NOAA. The aircraft took off from Bermuda before surveying the US east coast, a division spokesman tweeted.

The National Weather Service said the Hurricanes Hunter crews of the NOAA were “true American heroes”.

“They fly into dangerous hurricanes to collect critical data that are used to help forecasters support emergency managers in making life-saving decisions in advance of landfall,” the service said.

Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to leave their homes after the governors of Virginia, North and South Carolina issued mandatory evacuation orders ahead of the storm, ABC Local 10 News reported. Hurricane Florence is forecast to make landfall on Friday, September 14. Credit: Nick Underwood/NOAA via Storyful