rocket01

Sooner than that looking at the latest radar, I've butterflies in my stomach thinking about it

camacazi

hope everyone stays safe

jimtrish

looks like it may be nudging northwards abit....hope I am imagining that...wind is picking up now and we have had rain...

The A Team

I don't think you are imagining it...

Pollyana

The timings for the crossing is for the cyclone itself, the initial wind and rain are already starting to impact the area.
Mackay radar loop is looking interesting!

www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR222.loop.shtml

ireland

Keep safe folks especially folk down in Mackay and Prosperine

Pollyana

Warnings will now be issued hourly by the Bureau

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

Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre

Media: Transmitters serving the area between Cardwell to Yeppoon and inland to Hughenden, including Charters Towers and Clermont are requested to USE the Standard Emergency Warning Signal before broadcasting the following warning.

A Cyclone WARNING continues for coastal areas from Cardwell to Yeppoon and
inland to Hughenden, including Charters Towers and Clermont.

At 9:00 pm EST the cyclone is estimated to be
154 kilometres north northeast of Mackay and
183 kilometres east of Bowen.

The cyclone is expected to cross the coast between Ayr and Mackay, most likely in the Proserpine region as a severe tropical cyclone early Sunday. The cyclone is then expected to weaken inland later on Sunday.

VERY DESTRUCTIVE wind gusts to 200 km/hr near the cyclone centre may affect coastal and island communities in the threatened area late tonight and early Sunday.

DAMAGING winds are expected to develop between Cardwell and Yeppoon this
evening, then extend to adjacent inland parts during Sunday.

TIDES between Bowen and St Lawrence may rise to just above the highest tide of the year overnight with very rough seas and dangerous conditions along the foreshore.

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

People in the path of the dangerous cyclone should stay calm and remain in a
secure shelter while the very destructive winds develop late tonight and early
Sunday. Do not venture outside if you find yourself in the eye of the cyclone as winds may remain light for up to an hour - very destructive winds from a
different direction could resume at any time. Heed the advice and follow the
instructions of Police or State Emergency Service personnel.

bcworld

If you want to know what's coming...stats from a weather station in the sea due east of Proserpine earlier today:

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ60...01.94371.shtml

Sustained winds above 120km/h for about 2 hours...gusts to 165km/h.

Pollyana

Probably make landfall within the next hour.......

Pollyana

Crossing the coast now at Airlie Beach, apparently very eerie in the eye of it! Gusts of 205 km/hr have been recorded

Most of the rain seems to be concentrateed in the southern part of the system, which isn't good news for Mackay........Nooooooo, not Framac and family again

The Bloke

You think someone is trying to give Framac the hint to fly south for summer?????

bcworld

Hamilton Island looked interesting after midnight...170km/h sustained winds gusting over 200km/h.

Mackay has 125mm rain so far.

Pollyana

Still very windy there too, no real idea of damage cos people aren't venturing out yet until the wind drops more.

BigH68

missed us thankfully however thinking of the guys further up north, we had some wild winds around 3am, starting to pick up a bit again.......going to go out for a drive to see the huge waves....can hear the ocean from my hoose

iamthecreaturefromuranus

I wonder if there will come a point in the future when parts of the North start to become uneconomic to live in as a result of climate change?

If you start getting hit by a Cat 5 and say three Cat 4's every season then its going to become a nightmare for people up that way.