I don't think we're in Queensland any more Toto!

 

Severe cyclone heading towards Australia's northeast coast

 

 

SYDNEY (AFP) - A severe tropical cyclone packing winds of almost 300 kilometres (186 miles) an hour was gaining intensity as it moved steadily towards the northeastern coast of Australia, meteorologists said.

 

Cyclone Ingrid was upgraded to maximum level of category five and the eye of the storm was about 200 kilometres from the coast at 4:00 pm (0500 GMT), the Bureau of Meteorology said on its website.

 

The cyclone "poses a serious threat to the far north Queensland coast," the bureau said in its warning.

 

"Ingrid has a very destructive core with wind gusts to 290 kilometres per hour," it added.

 

Gales were expected to hit the 400-kilometre stretch between Port Douglas and the Lockhart River to the north from early Wednesday with some areas expected to receive destructive winds.

 

A spokesman for Queensland's tropical cyclone warning centre in Brisbane said that the bureau had issued a warning for residents along the coast to protect their properties, especially boats, before the cyclone hits.

 

"Tropical cyclones, they do produce very heavy rainfall which could lead to local flooding so where the cyclone comes across that will be an issue," Phil Alford said.

 

One government MP has also warned residents in the area against complacency.

 

"This one's close enough to be very, very concerned about and I don't think that we can afford to just sit back and hope that it doesn't hit us," ruling party MP Warren Entsch told reporters in Canberra.

 

If Ingrid maintains intensity it will be the most intensive cyclone to cross the Queensland coast since 1918

Damn that is HUGE!

The funny thing is a chick from here is on vacation, guess where, Austrailia. They were supposed to go to the GBR... wow... to never travel anywhere and to have a hurricane hit for the first time in 20 years, now THAT would suck.

It's a hurricane, not a twister, right?

It's a hurricane, not a twister, right?

Yeah, I think so. Whatever a "tropical cyclone" maybe. But let's face it, twister is faaaaaaar more fun to say.

Yeah, I think so. Whatever a "tropical cyclone" maybe. But let's face it, twister is faaaaaaar more fun to say.

 

A cyclone is the Pacific equivalent of an Atlantic hurricane. A typhoon is a tropical cyclone specifically on the Philippines or China Sea.

 

So now ya know.

 

And damn, this one is massive, solid Cat5. Hopefully it makes a turn - and if I'm not mistaken it would be a southward turn away from the equator, opposite of up here where we'rte always waiting for the damn things to turn north.

 

I can see some possible flooding and mudslide issues on the horizon here if the Kuranda range gets heavily dumped on on. Sending good thoughts out to the blokes and sheilas Queensland way.

OK, now that I've had a look at the satelllite track, I see it's the extreme northern part of the state looking to get slammed. Coastal flooding is still going to be a big issue, but not the slug of water coming back down the mountains like it would be down by cairns or Cooktown.

 

Still going to be a couple of wet, windy days.

A cyclone is the Pacific equivalent of an Atlantic hurricane.  A typhoon is a tropical cyclone specifically on the Philippines or China Sea.

 

"Rock you like a cyclone!" ... no doesn't sound quite right...

"Rock you like a typhoon!" ... no, still doesn't sound quite right...

"Rock you like a hurricane!" ... AHHHHHHHHHHH that's the ticket!

 

My favorite kind of Cyclone:

 

 

"Rock you like a cyclone!" ... no doesn't sound quite right...

"Rock you like a typhoon!" ... no, still doesn't sound quite right...

"Rock you like a hurricane!" ... AHHHHHHHHHHH  that's the ticket!

 

My favorite kind of Cyclone:

 

 

 

At least it isn't a Cincy Cyclone

This is going to be worse than the cyclone that hit Darwin just over 30 years ago, that totally destroyed that city. Luckily, there's really no big city up there in far north Queensland except for Townsville and Cairns. Lucky for me, I'm stuck down here in the south.