Pollyana

New Storm reminds us there was something about Larry........

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au...3745_news.html

WITH uncanny precision a cyclone is bearing down on the northern coastline, four years to the day that category five Larry smashed Innisfail and its surrounding towns. On March 20, 2006 Cyclone Larry caused hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage when it destroyed homes and sugarcane and banana crops over an area stretching south from Cairns to Tully and west to the Atherton Tableland. The North got its first whiff of Larry when it was just an unnamed low pressure system out in the Coral Sea. That was March 15, 2006, but it was one of those lows that weather observers will tell reporters off the record that they think might turn into a beast. And every day from March 15 there was a growing unease about its presence out there over the ocean and where it might end up heading. The low led the North on a merry dance before making up its mind and setting its sights on Innisfail.

Pollyana

8am update from the Bureau....

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQP0005.txt

TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVICE NUMBER 11

A Cyclone WARNING continues for coastal areas from Townsville to Yeppoon.
A Cyclone WATCH continues for coastal areas from Cardwell to Townsville, and inland areas between Charters Towers and Yeppoon.

At 7:00 am EST Tropical Cyclone Ului, Category 2 was estimated to be
550 kilometres east northeast of Mackay and 760 kilometres east of Townsville and moving southwest at 26 kilometres per hour.

The cyclone is expected to cross the coast between Townsville and Mackay early Sunday, remaining at category 2 intensity until landfall.

DESTRUCTIVE wind gusts to 140 km/hr near the cyclone centre may affect coastal and island communities between Bowen and Mackay early Sunday.

DAMAGING winds are expected to develop between Townsville and Yeppoon later today, then extending to adjacent inland parts on Sunday as the cyclone nears the coast.

Heavy rainfall and flooding are likely to develop about coastal and adjacent
inland areas between Bowen and St Lawrence early Sunday.

Seas and swell are expected to increase along much of the Queensland east coast. Dangerous surf conditions are expected to continue about exposed beaches south of the cyclone until later on Sunday.
People between Townsville and Yeppoon should immediately commence or continue preparations, especially securing boats and property using available daylight hours.
People between Cardwell and Townsville and adjacent inland parts should consider what action they will need to take if the cyclone threat increases.
- Information is available from your local government
- For cyclone preparedness and safety advice, visit Queensland's Disaster
Management Services
website [www.disaster.qld.gov.au].
- For emergency assistance call the Queensland State Emergency Service [SES] on 132 500 [for assistance with storm damage, rising flood water, fallen trees on buildings or roof damage]

Please ensure that neighbours have heard and understood this message,
particularly new arrivals or those who may not fully understand English.

The next advice will be issued by 11:00 am EST Saturday 20 March.

moneypenny20

Isn't there someone on here who lives in Bowen? I'm sure I've heard it mentioned. Stay safe everyone

BigH68

we are all set, everything inside or tied up, food in cupboards and plenty of booze in so we are all set...getting mega windy here now and rain on its way

rocket01

Moving in pretty quickly now and expected to be a force 3 on landfull, stay safe everone in its way.



http://www.goes.noaa.gov/sohemi/sohe...hirgmscol.html

Pollyana

Yep, she's intensified back to a Cat 3. I had that link running all night on the big screen and it was getting progressively darker in the centre - only slowly but it was there. Actually could see it intensifying, which was quite weird. She's also moving a lot faster as she should make landfall in the middle of the night now.
Good luck to everyone up there - stay safe.
=============================

A Cyclone WARNING is now current for coastal areas from Cardwell to Yeppoon and inland including Charters Towers and Clermont.
A Cyclone WATCH is current for areas extending further inland of the warning
area.

At 1:00 pm EST Tropical Cyclone Ului, Category 2 was estimated to be
365 kilometres east northeast of Mackay and 580 kilometres east of Townsville and moving west southwest at 27 kilometres per hour.

The cyclone is expected to cross the coast between Ayr and Mackay early Sunday, possibly re-intensifying to a Category 3 system before landfall. The cyclone is then expected to weaken inland later on Sunday.
============================

copa

The nrl game in townsville later today should be interesting!!

jimtrish

Very quiet here in the Ville....at the moment

Pollyana

Its times like this you ralise the origin of the statement "The calm before the storm......" isn't it?
Hope you come through it OK I shall be thinking of all you guys up there when I'm watching it cross.


Mackay Airport now closed, ergon have activated their emergency management plan with extra staff on standby, departments like Transprt and QHealth have got all sorts of plans in place, many of which can't be actioned until after the crossing, and we have SES all over the State ready to move in to the area.
A Disater Declaration has been made for the Townsville, Burdekin, Whitsunday, Charters Towers, Mackay, Isaac, Rockhampton and Central Highlands local government areas - gives extra powers in anticipation that some properties may need to be evacuated in the coming hours.

moneypenny20

Flaming glad the school postponed the Heron trip Not that they'd have left Gladstone but I don't want then in Gladstone either.

Pollyana

Yeah, it was a good call - only one they could make really with so much uncertainty about Ului's path.

upyerfud

Quite right, cyclone or not I wouldn't want my worst enemy in Gladstone at anytime. Most definitely the worst major town I've been in in Australia by a long way. Reminds me somewhat of Dundee and Stockton and thats not a good memory.
Nice place though if you like coal and alumina dust.

bcworld

....how very dare you!

upyerfud

Unfortunately I spent many a shift working at Dundee docks. The only good thing was the road north to Aberdeen. Still, its slightly better than Stockton and Gladstone. Thats a bit like being Snow Whites tallest dwarf though, still a dwarf.

Pollyana

Landfall expected from 1am onwards around Proserpine, the main concenr is how much rain comes with her, and whether she moves fast enough to stop heavy rainfall being concentrated in one place.

Public notice from Burdekin attached......