Pollyana

Bureau of Met warnings now coming thick and fast re possible cyclone developing of the north Qld coast.
There is a low deepening in the Coral Sea, and its expected to move west from tonight towards the coast. At the moment the track is based on computer models, but they are all pointing the same way, and we have been alerted to POSSIBLE landfall on Monday. Cyclone warning may be issued at sunrise Saturday (tomorrow). Several models at present indicate a crossing of the coast near Cairns/Cooktown.

I'll post any firm updates I get, and suggest anyone in north/far north Queensland keeps a very close eye on the Bureau of Met site.

www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ10810.shtml
www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQ20008.txt

Wendy

Ooooer, lets hope the weather people have got it wrong like usual.

teach

Hi Polly,
Lucky we got our new garage roof on this week! We aren't quite that far North in Bundy so hopefully we should be ok. Will keep a close watch though.
Sarah

Bix

Thanks for the heads up Polly

spalen

oh beaut... im flying through that on Monday.whoopy doo.

Pollyana

I'd keep your seatbelt very firmly fastened if I were you

moneypenny20

Don't forget half a dozen sick bags :scared:

spalen

thank you for your concern....

kiwichild

Good post but these cyclones are pretty common in the top half of the country. Still good to alert new residents

biggy

hmmmm dunno if it is gonna come to owt

Pollyana

It may not, still, with the job I'm in (State Disaster Coordination Centre) I'd feel awful if I didn't alert people to possibilities.
Also this is the first time while I've been there (15 months) that we have had emails alerting us at this level.

Whatever the news, I'll let you know......

tum

Hi Pollyana,

Pretty responsible job you have, although it must be a job where you have to be very flexible I guess, you never know what, when and where something will happen.

Take care,

Miranda

kiwichild

Hmmm does sound like it might be serious then. Alerting people is still a good move particularly for new residents. Thinking about it, most who are used to these things probably wouldn't be on this forum.

Pollyana

Tis a bit like that - you get the vibes when something like a cyclone is imminent, but we also deal with terrorist alerts, and that is a case of drop the normal work where it is, and all hands on deck. Office based version of the guys out there on the ground. Our main function is to coordinate the resources of all the govt agencies and departments, and to get aid - money/food/whatever in as soon as we can. For instance during the yearly floods caused by the hevy rain in the far north, we are responsible for organising airlifts of food and essential supplies. If something like Cyclone Tracy (the one that got Darwin) happened in Qld, I could be phoning Qantas and chartering a 747 for an evacuation

(now theres a thought, wonder if I could charter one for an airlift of Poms who want to come south to Aus........ )

Jaycee1

Yeah! Can I book the first seat and sit near the back please Pollyana?
Could we set off after the cyclone please?