Cyclone Yasi is a monster cyclone, 800km across, and very well up there among the most intense ever in australia. Top of the list is Cyclone Monica of 2006 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Monica] with a low pressure of 917hpa or 879hpa [ depends how calculations are done] while Cyclone Mahina of 1899 caused the most loss of life, and reputably the greatest storm surge.
Cyclone Yasi is expected to be around 920 - 930hpa at landfall, thought to be around Cairns, during tomorrow night local time. This extreme intensity, and large size elicit one response.................GO GO GO.
Many people are doing just that right now.
Cyclones are nasty creatures, especially at this size and intensity, and not be to trifled with.
There will be [ probably] major damage to houses, infrastructure but hopefully not lives.
See more at http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/ [ this will only be current for a short period]
Showing posts with label la Nina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label la Nina. Show all posts
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Friday, 14 January 2011
Monsoon is STILL here
Most monsoon periods last 7-10 days with the monsoon low pressure front moving north and then back south over the north coast of the NT, and across the NW of Australia.
The present monsoon period is now one month old and shows no real signs of going away.........and in fact is expected to deepen early next week. The monsoon front has been as far south as close to 1500kms inland ............that is almost to Alice Springs!! Presently about 500kms S of Darwin.
It has been steadily wet, not the monumental rains of Queensland, at least so far. Around 10 - 70mm of rain a day, with a few days slightly more. BUT....it has rained almost every day since the middle of December. And more is coming.
A large tree outside our house has dropped leaves...........it is essentially waterlogged!
Today was drier.......just a few monsoonal squalls of rain, and even quite a bit of sun, among the cloud filled skies, but enough to deliver a good boost to the solar hot water system.
It is just a slightly wetter, but a fairly typical monsoon - lots of cloud cover, squally rain showers, some with high intensity rain. It is actually a great time as it is a little cooler each day with the cloud cover, and with lots of damp west or north west winds.
Better to visit now and not November......
The present monsoon period is now one month old and shows no real signs of going away.........and in fact is expected to deepen early next week. The monsoon front has been as far south as close to 1500kms inland ............that is almost to Alice Springs!! Presently about 500kms S of Darwin.
It has been steadily wet, not the monumental rains of Queensland, at least so far. Around 10 - 70mm of rain a day, with a few days slightly more. BUT....it has rained almost every day since the middle of December. And more is coming.
A large tree outside our house has dropped leaves...........it is essentially waterlogged!
Today was drier.......just a few monsoonal squalls of rain, and even quite a bit of sun, among the cloud filled skies, but enough to deliver a good boost to the solar hot water system.
It is just a slightly wetter, but a fairly typical monsoon - lots of cloud cover, squally rain showers, some with high intensity rain. It is actually a great time as it is a little cooler each day with the cloud cover, and with lots of damp west or north west winds.
Better to visit now and not November......
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Floods in SE Queensland
Floods are expected in Brisbane tomorrow. And Ipswich is flooding tonight.
Last major floods were in 1974, and after that a new flood mitigation dam - Wivenhoe Dam was built on the upper Brisbane river, hopefully to prevent further flooding. It is now overfull, after being effectively empty a year ago or so, and water has been released under direction, although it will smooth out flood heights.
A record breaking intense La Nina event [http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/42858.html] has brought unprecendented rain to SE Queensland, with horrific scenes all over the media outlets today of disastrous flash flooding in Toowoomba and the upper reaches of the Brisbane river, and despite the dam, that water is going into the Brisbane River. There are seasonal high tides also this week, and by Thursday, some 9000 homes as well as another 14000 business premises are expected to be flooded in Brisbane alone, with more in Ipswich [one third of all houses].
There are numerous images and stories across the media outlets - they do that stuff very well, so go and look.
I have been impressed by the savvy performance of a numer of Queensland ministers of state as well as senior officials in police, emergency services and related areas. The Premier Anna Bligh has spoken well, as has the Police and Emergency Services Minister, in stark contrast to the situation in Victoria during the dreadful fires there a few years ago. These two especially deserve congratulations on both their media appearances [several scheduled per day] as well as oversight of the various service departments operational in this situation.
While terribly difficult as these situations are, it does seem under efficient management and things are happening efficiently and effectively. No doubt the volunteeer crews deserve a lot of praise too.
One of our sons lives in Brisbane, and so far seems to be ok. Their house seems likely to be above predicted flood levels, based on available mapping. BUT......conditions are variable, changeable and a bit of an unknown. Our thoughts go out to them.
One can prepare only so much......and I have no doubt that the next issue in Brisbane for many people will be loss of power, for short or maybe longer time. They are turning off the power in some central city areas already. I hope they prepare well.
Living in an active cyclone zone ourselves, preparing for emergencies is an ongoing issue and we have, as well, been through a few modest as well as larger, fiercer cyclones. So we know a little about emergency preparation and coping.
There is nothing like the real event though.
If you are in a warm, dry place.........think about those in this region who may not be, or who are in emergency shelters.
Last major floods were in 1974, and after that a new flood mitigation dam - Wivenhoe Dam was built on the upper Brisbane river, hopefully to prevent further flooding. It is now overfull, after being effectively empty a year ago or so, and water has been released under direction, although it will smooth out flood heights.
A record breaking intense La Nina event [http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/42858.html] has brought unprecendented rain to SE Queensland, with horrific scenes all over the media outlets today of disastrous flash flooding in Toowoomba and the upper reaches of the Brisbane river, and despite the dam, that water is going into the Brisbane River. There are seasonal high tides also this week, and by Thursday, some 9000 homes as well as another 14000 business premises are expected to be flooded in Brisbane alone, with more in Ipswich [one third of all houses].
There are numerous images and stories across the media outlets - they do that stuff very well, so go and look.
I have been impressed by the savvy performance of a numer of Queensland ministers of state as well as senior officials in police, emergency services and related areas. The Premier Anna Bligh has spoken well, as has the Police and Emergency Services Minister, in stark contrast to the situation in Victoria during the dreadful fires there a few years ago. These two especially deserve congratulations on both their media appearances [several scheduled per day] as well as oversight of the various service departments operational in this situation.
While terribly difficult as these situations are, it does seem under efficient management and things are happening efficiently and effectively. No doubt the volunteeer crews deserve a lot of praise too.
One of our sons lives in Brisbane, and so far seems to be ok. Their house seems likely to be above predicted flood levels, based on available mapping. BUT......conditions are variable, changeable and a bit of an unknown. Our thoughts go out to them.
One can prepare only so much......and I have no doubt that the next issue in Brisbane for many people will be loss of power, for short or maybe longer time. They are turning off the power in some central city areas already. I hope they prepare well.
Living in an active cyclone zone ourselves, preparing for emergencies is an ongoing issue and we have, as well, been through a few modest as well as larger, fiercer cyclones. So we know a little about emergency preparation and coping.
There is nothing like the real event though.
If you are in a warm, dry place.........think about those in this region who may not be, or who are in emergency shelters.
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