Tropical Cyclone Laurence moving towards WA north coast.

TROPICAL Cyclone Laurence is edging closer to the north Kimberley coast, and is expected to make landfall in the region by Wednesday afternoon. The category one storm, which formed in the Timor Sea yesterday, was 180km northeast of Kalumburu and 280km north-northwest of Wyndham, and moving west at 9km/h at 5pm (WST) today, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said. Winds at the centre of the cyclone are estimated at be around 100km/h and slowly intensifying. Laurence, the first cyclone of the season, is expected to gradually curve southwest towards the Kimberley coast. Projections have Laurence making landfall just east of Kuri Bay at category 2 strength by 7pm on Wednesday.

read more Here

Although BOM has it listed as a Category 3 when i just checked it here

If you're up that way stay safe!

Its got a well formed eye now too. As a tropical depression over the weekend, Darwin copped over 350mm rain in 48 hours. Too bad I git transfered to Woomera Met Office, we havent even got half of that this year, lol.

Its intresting to see that the outflow of this is appearing to look like iots going to join with a deep trough line in WA, which should mean some severe weather for South Australia, WA, QLD, NSW and Victoria. Hopefully we get some here

Any rain it may produce will be very welcome anywhere it falls. At the moment, here in Qld it has been stinking hot, quite a bit hotter than the weather stats say and with very little rain to speak of.

I find it interesting how far the weather patterns have changed in as little as 20 years, when we used to get seasonal cyclones along the east coast in summer. There hasn't been one for many years as they all seem to move in the west now for "some reason."

If it intensifies then I hope all people in it's path will insure their own safety. At least the far north of W.A. has little in the way of towns along the coast.

I'm currently 150kms north of Newman, be nice to get some rain from this, be a change from clear, 40 degree+ days!

Originally posted by Chadwickus
I'm currently 150kms north of Newman, be nice to get some rain from this, be a change from clear, 40 degree+ days!

Same here

Its hit 39 today so far and its going to be even warmer over the next few days. Hoping Woomera will get some rain out of this change.

Just to add, the forecasters want an adaptive (unschedules) balloon flight programmed in tonight, so maybe they are thinking we might get something too

Originally posted by Tayesin
Any rain it may produce will be very welcome anywhere it falls. At the moment, here in Qld it has been stinking hot, quite a bit hotter than the weather stats say and with very little rain to speak of.

I find it interesting how far the weather patterns have changed in as little as 20 years, when we used to get seasonal cyclones along the east coast in summer. There hasn't been one for many years as they all seem to move in the west now for "some reason."

If it intensifies then I hope all people in it's path will insure their own safety. At least the far north of W.A. has little in the way of towns along the coast.

Yeah, i've lived in QLD for my entire 24 years of life so far, and lately this heat has been bugging me like mad, the best part of living in Brisbane in summer would be watching the storms roll in and cooling it all down and getting to watch some great lightning shows, but day after day lately all you hear is 'it has to storm soon' from people but it's now weeks between them, when i can remember night after night of them in years past.

Originally posted by bkaust

Yeah, i've lived in QLD for my entire 24 years of life so far, and lately this heat has been bugging me like mad, the best part of living in Brisbane in summer would be watching the storms roll in and cooling it all down and getting to watch some great lightning shows, but day after day lately all you hear is 'it has to storm soon' from people but it's now weeks between them, when i can remember night after night of them in years past.

No offense guys but Ive lived almost all over Australia, and you QLD'ers (I learnt after living on the Gold Coast) are a bunch of pussies, lol

Try living in North West Australia during summer, or even in Darwin. I ve lived in both places and they make Queenslands summer feel like Antarctica. Even the QLD tropics are cooler than the rest of Australia, guess thats why i want to move back to Cairns

[edit on 14/12/2009 by OzWeatherman]

reply to post by OzWeatherman


Hahaha no offence taken Oz because compared to the heat i've heard of in SA and elsewhere i know we are getting it easy! But we are also known to enjoy a good whinge

reply to post by OzWeatherman


Have to agree with you.
Living in Carins can get warm, but honestly, nothing like a hot summers day in victoria with a hot dry northerly.

humidity is the thing that gets you in Cairns, but it isn't bad.

Originally posted by bkaust
reply to post by OzWeatherman

 

Hahaha no offence taken Oz because compared to the heat i've heard of in SA and elsewhere i know we are getting it easy! But we are also known to enjoy a good whinge

I know, Im engaged to a QLD'er lol

But in all seriousness, if anyone looks at the satellite image or loop form my works website, its shows a tought developing just south of the main storm, and also one extending through towars southern QLD. I reckon its possible that WA and QLD will get some storm activity. Not 100% on this, but its not unlikely

Double post

[edit on 14/12/2009 by OzWeatherman]

ha ha ha yeah, it used to be perfect here in summer. You could set your watch by the storms each afternoon in the 70's and 80's.

Now, it's just hot. The new Digital display in town has shown 43C quite a bit in the past two weeks here despite the official figure being in the high 36 to 38 range.. and, it felt HOT.

I lived in South Oz for 5 years and it does get hot there too, but at least it is dry heat, that high moisture content gets to you in the north.

They say Darwin has perfect year round 32C most of the time? Now that sounds like a paradise to me.

On couriermail.com.au today it's been upgraded to a category 5!

"red alert as cyclone laurence upgraded"

and the BOM link

www.bom.gov.au...

reply to post by Chadwickus


Hi Chad

I used to live in newman, I ran the red sands! I love the cyclone parties. Last I was up there we went camping in the cyclone, although it wasnt directly over newman it was karratha but we still got wet and had heaps of fun.

Get yourself to a pub for a lock in and stay safe

themuse

reply to post by OzWeatherman


Hi Oz

Im in kal and we had some lightening last night, its been a bit muggy and im hoping it will bring some rain, enough to cool me off and also enough lightening to get some more lightening pix on the weekend

Have the best day
themuse


[edit on 15/12/2009 by themuse]


[edit on 15/12/2009 by themuse]

Should say that its now a category 5 system meaning there is winds in excess of 285kmh

Looks like its going to affect Derby and possibly Broome. Im surprised at how quickly it intensified, but it is a small system so I guess thats one thing that positive about it. That means that the core of the strongest winds are confined to core pretty much.

I think it should bring some nice weather to Newman and the interior

Here's the current satellite image

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1888021bd07c.jpg[/atsimg]

Quite well structured for an Australian cyclone, and quite intense with the central pressure being 930hPa, which isnt far off the Australian record

reply to post by themuse


Agreed, the wet mess will be the place to be if it comes down!

As long as it's all cleared up by next Wednesday, that's when I fly outa here!!

Great pic btw! Love watching lightning storms, had one hit about 40m from me once, we were under the veranda at the Lodge in Fitzroy Crossing and it left the ears ringing.

Could smell it too!

reply to post by OzWeatherman


An old bloke who has lived in the Pilbarra his whole life reckons we won't get any rain from this.

We shall see!