Evacuations begin ahead of cyclone Yasi

reply to post by Beast Of Gevaudan


oh i hope they are ok, my cousin is also up that way and he and his family and in the middle of trying to get away from the coast.

Yeah the Bushfires were horrible, i used to visit my aunty and uncle in Kinglake when i was younger. It was a beautiful place... it still is and will be again. It's because of them the governments are alot more cautious in regard to natural disasters.
Although the councils need to relax the laws on the claring of some trees and scrub!!

reply to post by Netties Hermit


Yeah Jetstar...hmmm

I'm watching the news now, people are out buying generators and supplies.

A bigger concern are storm surges and floods I cant believe for the second time in a month QLD is suffering again.

This storm looks beautiful! Shame that it's so destructive. And what does black represent on infrared images? No heat? Super hot?

fortunaltely the storm surge panic has eased a little as if it hits when predicted, 1am Thursday morning
the tide will be falling
tide timetable

there is still talk of a 2 meter tide surge, not as bad as the 6meter original predicted time.

***News Update*** ( 16:01 AEST Tue Feb 1 2011 )

Homes, hospitals emptied as Yasi looms

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f30c25bc54b8.jpg[/atsimg]

Thousands of people are fleeing their homes and hospitals are being emptied as severe tropical cyclone Yasi bears down on the north Queensland coast.

Premier Anna Bligh says lives could be lost when Yasi, expected to be more devastating that Cyclone Larry, makes landfall somewhere between Cairns and Innisfail.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2ceb01798c3e.jpg[/atsimg]

The category three storm is expected to dramatically intensify before hitting the coast as a severe category four about 1am (AEST) on Thursday, with winds in excess of 250km/h.

Much of the north Queensland coast is also braced for a dangerous storm surge, a threat that has already forced many to flee low-lying homes.

Source - Ch 9 News

---------------------------------------------------------------


Cyclone forces 300 schools to close


About 300 schools in Queensland's far north, north and central regions will be closed from Wednesday as severe tropical cyclone Yasi approaches.

Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson said the safety of students and school staff was the top priority.

"The decision to close schools and TAFEs in the far north Queensland, north Queensland and central regions was made on the advice of individual local disaster management groups and the state disaster management group," Mr Wilson said.

Source

Originally posted by Throwback
This storm looks beautiful! Shame that it's so destructive. And what does black represent on infrared images? No heat? Super hot?

I think it means hot, I know the forecast for much of Oz was mid 30s to 40s. I also know I'm baking here!

reply to post by Throwback


Heat, as it is sucking up the heat / vapour from the sea surface, which in turn intensifies the cyclone. It then disapates as that heat radiates toward the edge of the cyclone system.

www.bom.gov.au...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/52e899faee77.gif[/atsimg]

Degrees
Celsius Colour
-68 Very pale orange (off-white)
-61 Pale orange
-55 Orange
-47 BRIGHT BRICK-RED
-40 Dull reddish-green
-33 Dull green (red tinge)
-27 Dull green (slightly reddish)
-20 BRIGHT LIGHT GREEN
-12 Medium green (bluish)
-6 Dark Green (blue/green)
+1 Light Blue
+8 Medium Blue
+15 Dark Blue
+22 Dark grey/blue
>22 Black

Originally posted by Havick007
reply to post by Beast Of Gevaudan

 

oh i hope they are ok, my cousin is also up that way and he and his family and in the middle of trying to get away from the coast.

Yeah the Bushfires were horrible, i used to visit my aunty and uncle in Kinglake when i was younger. It was a beautiful place... it still is and will be again. It's because of them the governments are alot more cautious in regard to natural disasters.
Although the councils need to relax the laws on the claring of some trees and scrub!!

How are your Aunt and Uncle? Did they make it out ok?

You're right about clearing the trees. What's more annoying is the red tape that's holding things up for so many residents.

Still haven't heard from my cousins in Townsville, I have no idea whether they chose to stay (a foolish choice in my opinion) or evacuate. According to the network news this cyclone is larger than Tasmania!

reply to post by Beast Of Gevaudan


oh nah it's my cousin and his wife and kids. I'm not 100% i havent been able to get through to him. Ive tried txting... but should be ok.

Hope your family is ok

I go to bed tonight wishing everyone up in NQ the best.

My family up there will be evacuating tonight and it I hope that the phone service stays stable so's I don't worry too much over the coming days.

Good luck to all our FNQ members, stay safe and a big thanks again to Havick for the updates.

Take care everyone.

- NH

***News Update***

Cairns could see a two-metre storm surge - Tuesday, February 01, 2011 » 07:24pm

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c33b1064aafb.jpg[/atsimg]

Parts of Cairns will see a storm surge of up to two metres when Cyclone Yasi hits, authorities say.

Premier Anna Bligh said Yasi would hit as a category four storm around Cairns about 1am (AEST) on Thursday.

She said north Queensland hospital patients would be flown to safety and emergency shelters were being organised for those in flood-prone areas.

Ms Bligh said mandatory evacuation orders were being given in council areas from Cook to Hinchinbrook to people in areas at high risk of flooding.

She said those people should seek accommodation with family and friends but she understood there were some, like tourists, who would have nowhere to go.

Those people should register with authorities by phoning 1300 993 191.

Full Story

BOM Update

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/007146563dbc.png[/atsimg]

IDQP0005
Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Queensland
Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre

Media: The Standard Emergency Warning Signal should NOT be used with this
warning.

TOP PRIORITY
TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVICE NUMBER 8
Issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane
Issued at 8:00pm EST on Tuesday the 1st of February 2011

A Cyclone WARNING is current for island and coastal areas from Cape Melville to
Sarina, extending inland to Georgetown and to the west of Charters Towers.

A Cyclone WATCH is current for island and coastal areas from Lockhart River to
Cape Melville, and over the tropical interior.

At 7:00 pm EST Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi, Category 4 was estimated to be
950 kilometres east northeast of Cairns and 950 kilometres east northeast of
Townsville moving west southwest at 30 kilometres per hour.

YASI IS LARGE AND POWERFUL TROPICAL CYCLONE AND POSES A SERIOUS THREAT TO NORTH
QUEENSLAND COMMUNITIES

The Cyclone will continue to intensify and move in a west-southwesterly
direction overnight.

DAMAGING winds with gusts to 90 km/hr are expected to develop on the islands
during Wednesday morning, then extend onto the coast during the day, and further
inland across the northern tropical interior overnight.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f6cd30c20ebf.gif[/atsimg]

As the centre approaches and crosses the coast sea levels between Cairns and Townsville will rise significantly above the normal tide with damaging waves, strong currents and flooding of low lying areas in coastal parts.

Full Source

Latest MTSAT image:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0435a117ea99.jpg[/atsimg]

MTSAT - 1R

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6fa13e617025.jpg[/atsimg]

reply to post by Havick007


Thanks for the updates Havick. Much appreciated.

I'll be staying up late to follow this as my cousins decided to stay put. I think they're underestimating the severity of the situation as they are originally from Melbourne and have never experienced anything like this before.

I wish Queensland residents all the best. Stay safe.

Just been reading in the news that they expect it will ramp up to a Category 5 when it hits land.

QLD just can't catch a break right now can they...

At least all the emergency services are in place and ready to go.

Originally posted by Chadwickus
QLD just can't catch a break right now can they...

At least all the emergency services are in place and ready to go.

They say it may go to cat 5...
That's huge..!!

From what I see it appears to be landing further south than earlier predictions...
Shhesh, I was going to bed but this is too big..

News Update: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 » 10:18pm

Monster cyclone likely to hit Cairns



North Qld residents are battening down or fleeing as tropical cyclone Yasi bears down with a ferocity greater than the devastating Cyclone Larry.

The latest modelling suggests Cyclone Yasi is on track to hit Cairns about 1am (AEST) on Thursday as a highly destructive category four storm with winds above 250km/h.

The Australian Defence Force has been called in to evacuate hundreds of patients from two Cairns hospitals.

And residents in low-lying areas have been told to abandon their homes with a storm surge of up to two metres expected in parts of Cairns, including the CBD.

Full Story

www.emergency.qld.gov.au...

www.cairns.com.au...

www.couriermail.com.au...

hope everyone can find a place of safety, not only will yasi effect the coastline for around 24 hours straight but could possible travel hundreds of kilometres inland bringing cyclonic winds and heavy rain to many other towns along the way.

Residents in Port Douglas, Yorkeys Knob, Holloways Beach, Machans Beach and the Cairns CBD have been told to move to safety under the unprecedented mandatory evacuation plan.
The area's 190,000-plus population faces the dire threat of a deadly ``tsunami-like'' storm surge of up to 2.5m tipped to inundate waterfront homes and the CBD.
Towns from Cooktown to Townsville are considered in the ``danger zone'' but Yasi is also expected to reach as far south as Mackay and as far west as Mount Isa.

www.bom.gov.au...

Cyclone Larry hit QLD in on 20th March 2006 it was one of the largest to hit QLD.
Cyclone Yasi is hitting in almost the exact same spot.

Below is the Track map for Larry
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c31f0ac1f07d.png[/atsimg]
Expected track of Yasi
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/f6cd30c20ebf.gif[/atsimg]


This article says Yasi will be worse then Larry

All I can say is good luck and the whole of Australia is watching and rooting for you guys!

Cairns and townsville are looking at a real bad time poor buggers. I just got off chat with my cousin who has only just got some normality in her life after the Queensland floods and she's worried, my best wishes to all affected.

Here's a different source; commerical satellite radar from NZ Metservice which shows more defined and unusual cloud pattern or reflectance of some sort around periphery of cyclone than the iR systems. This storm is a stunning and shocking sight to see on radar, let alone experience in the flesh. RSOE also has it forming around the 31st of January, stunning stuff.



Credit to New Zealand Metservice, 'taxes' and unFREEz free gif creator for this image.

hisz.rsoe.hu...