Pollyana

Currently the Tropical Low is expected to cross between Lockhardt River and Cooktown on Friday, very heavy rain expected down to about Rockhampton (approx 500mm over 4-5 days). Estimates of 200-250 for the Brisbane/SE area over the 5 days.
Not expected to become a cyclone, but the Tropical Low will drag the monsoon trough south so it will bring more rain into the north of Qld, even after the Low moves inland.

Pollyana

SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
for rainfall with locally moderate to heavy falls and potential for flooding
For people over a broad area of Queensland from the Gulf of Carpentaria to
Southeast Queensland and parts of Cape York Peninsula.

Issued at 12:45 pm on Thursday 23 December 2010

Synoptic Situation: The monsoon trough extends across northern Cape York Peninsula. A low is deepening on the monsoon trough and will move towards Cape York Peninsula during today and Friday. Moist onshore winds are feeding into an upper level trough and producing widespread areas of rain, showers and thunderstorms over eastern Queensland.

Scattered showers thunderstorms and general rain areas will continue over
eastern Queensland for the coming week.
Heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding is expected on the coast between
Cooktown and Ingham this afternoon and tonight.
Locally heavy falls may occur with thunderstorms elsewhere in the broad warning area.

Tides are expected to remain higher than normal and exceed the high water mark on the high tide over the next few days. This will cause inundation in low lying areas on the high tide.

Recent Events: Abergowrie Bridge near Cardwell has recorded 269mm of rainfall in the 24 hours to 9am this morning.

The State Emergency Service advises that people in the affected area should:

· avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters
· take care on the roads, especially in heavy downpours
· avoid swimming in swollen rivers and creeks

Contact the SES on 132 500 for emergency assistance if required. If it is life threatening please ring 000.


The next warning is due to be issued by 5:00 pm Thursday

Pollyana

TROPICAL Queensland is on high alert with flash flooding and mudslides a real threat due to a predicted 500mm torrential downpour on Christmas Day.

Emergency crews and disaster groups from Cooktown to Rockhampton have been activated ahead of a fast-moving tropical storm cell forecast to hit north of Cairns early tomorrow.
Most of Queensland is expected to be awash under the monsoonal low as the deluge dumps hundreds of millimetres along the entire length of the state's already rain-soaked coast.
Hundreds of travellers were yesterday already stuck in a 2km-long gridlock on the Bruce Highway near Rollingstone, between Townsville and Ingham.

Emergency Management Queensland assistant director-general Bruce Grady urged motorists to think long and hard about their travel plans in light of the weather warnings.
"The likelihood is that if you are on the road this Christmas, you are going to be held up or stranded at some point in that journey, so you need to have your plans in place," Mr Grady said. "The advice is to question the need to go in the first place."

Pollyana

From this morning's Severe Weather Warning -
Area most affected in the next 24 hours:

Heaviest rainfalls and associated flooding are expected to focus on the tropical east coast and adjacent inland between Cairns and St Lawrence during the next 24 hours.

Tides are also expected to remain higher than normal and exceed the high water mark over southeastern Queensland on the high tide over the next couple of days. This will cause inundation in low lying areas on the high tide.

And from the outlook for Monday onwards - An upper low will move through western Queensland with a surface trough deepening from northwest to southeast parts of the state. Rain areas and thunderstorms with moderate to heavy falls are expected about eastern Queensland, extending further westwards on Wednesday and continuing for most eastern parts on Thursday. Southeastern Queensland may see some clearance of the rain on Thursday.

DeadVim

Something to look forward too then ...

Pollyana

Enjoy!! At least it'll ensure I'm off the streets and gainfully employed for the next few days/nights!

DeadVim

I thought walking the streets was being gainfully employed .

Awoke this morning to a broken sullage tank pump ... stagnant water everywhere, really need some heavy rain to distribute it around the gaff ...

Chances of getting a plumber out without being mightily fleeced ... very very slim. Just managed to get an appointment for Wednesday.

Sorry, thought this was the disaster info thread

Pollyana

You should have enough rain to wash all your muck away quite nicely

As for walking the streets, bit damp for that, and since I moved to Windsor its a bit too posh - the trade is slower here than it was in Aspley

Pollyana

Hundreds of emergency workers and volunteers have put their Christmas plans on hold as Queensland braces for a possible cyclone and major flooding across the state.

A severe weather warning has been issued for much of Queensland, with the heaviest rain expected between Mackay and Cooktown.

The weather bureau says a monsoonal low in the Gulf of Carpentaria may develop into a low-grade cyclone over the weekend.

"The main concern will still be the rainfall, winds won't be all that much of an issue," senior bureau forecaster Michael Knepp said.

"These systems do produce very heavy rainfall and that's what we're concerned with at the moment."

Pollyana

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST
SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
for Damaging Winds, Heavy Rainfall and Further Flooding For people about the coast, ranges and adjacent inland areas between Cairns and St Lawrence.

Issued at 11:15 pm on Friday 24 December 2010

Synoptic Situation: At 10pm, the monsoon trough extended across northern Cape York Peninsula to a monsoon low located in the northwest Coral Sea, approximately 300km northeast of Cairns. The monsoon low has been slowly intensifying and is expected to continue intensifying and move in a southwest direction and cross the north tropical coast between Cairns and Cardwell during Saturday morning.

Damaging wind gusts to 90 kilometres per hour will develop overnight between Cairns and Bowen, particularly about the higher ground, including the Atherton Tablelands. These wind gusts will extend westwards into the adjacent inland during Saturday morning.

Heavy rainfall and associated flooding will continue in coastal areas between Cairns and St Lawrence overnight and extend inland during Saturday. Some localised heavy falls may occur.

The situation will continue to be monitored and will be updated every 3 hours.

Pollyana

TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVICE NUMBER 1
Issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane Issued at 12:14am EST on Saturday the 25th of December 2010

A Cyclone WARNING has been declared for coastal areas from Port Douglas to Lucinda.

At 11:00 pm EST a Tropical Low was estimated to be
175 kilometres east northeast of Cairns and
235 kilometres northeast of Cardwell and moving southwest at 28 kilometres per hour towards the coast.

The tropical low, with gusts up to 85 km/h is expected to continue moving towards the north tropical coast and intensify. The low is expected to cross the coast between Cairns and Cardwell early Saturday morning. There is the potential for the system to reach weak category 1 tropical cyclone intensity prior to landfall.

DAMAGING winds of up to 100 km/hr are possible between Port Douglas and Lucinda as the system approaches the coast during Saturday morning.

Heavy rainfall and associated flooding will continue in coastal areas between Cairns and St Lawrence overnight and extend inland during Saturday. A separate Severe Weather Warning is also current.

People between Port Douglas and Cardwell should take precautions and listen to the next advice at 3am.
- 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].

Details of Tropical Low at 11:00 pm EST:
.Centre located near...... 16.6 degrees South 147.4 degrees East .Location accuracy........ within 35 kilometres .Recent movement.......... towards the southwest at 28 kilometres per hour .Wind gusts near centre... 85 kilometres per hour and INTENSIFYING .Severity category........ below cyclone intensity .Central pressure......... 998 hectoPascals

The next advice will be issued by 3:00 am EST Saturday 25 December.

This warning is also available through TV and Radio Broadcasts; the Bureau's website at www.bom.gov.au or call 1300 659 212. The Bureau and the State Emergency Service would appreciate this warning being broadcast regularly.

Pollyana

Yeay!! She's mine! First one of the year, Tropical Cyclone Tasha!

Pollyana

A Cyclone WARNING has been declared for coastal areas from Port Douglas to Cardwell.

At 1:00 am EST Tropical Cyclone Tasha, Category 1, was estimated to be
95 kilometres east northeast of Cairns and 195 kilometres north northeast of Cardwell and is moving west southwest at 31 kilometres per hour towards the coast.

GALES have already been observed offshore and should develop about coastal parts over the next several hours.

Pollyana

On the serious side, we have had reports of very strong wind gusts around Mackay/Sarina as well as in the warning area. Hope everyone out there is safe.......

Bix

Very calm and dry in Cairns this morning.
More rain looks imminent though.

Strong wind woke Gill up at about 4am and we had a phone call at 5.40am (UK timekeepers) and she said it seemed cyclonic. Then I caught up with your news that indeed it was a Tasha.