DAMN .. Man killed during Cyclone Yasi Source: The Midday Report Friday, February 4, 2011 2:54 AEDT
Premier Anna Bligh has confirmed a man died from asphyxiation after using a generator in an enclosed space outside Ingham in north Queensland during Cyclone Yasi.
Clean-up begins in the wake of Cyclone Heidi Updated January 12, 2012 15:20:03
Video: Graham Creed on the likely rise in the number of cyclones hitting WA, Queensland and the NT. (The Midday Report) [embedded]
More than 3,500 homes and businesses in Port Hedland are without power after Tropical Cyclone Heidi swept through the Pilbara town this morning.
The system has been downgraded to category one and is losing power as it moves inland through the north west of Western Australia.
While residents are reporting the worst of the cyclone has now passed Port Hedland and South Hedland, a red alert is still current for Pardoo to Whim Creek, where authorities are urging residents to remain indoors.
An all clear is expected to be issued this afternoon.
The ABC's Elise Batchelor lives in Port Hedland and says Heidi packed winds of up to 150km per hour in the height of the storm.
"We've got a smashed pot or two; I've got chimes going mad and in fact the man hole in our house up in the ceiling has been lifted off by the pressure of the wind," she said.
Ms Batchelor says residents are starting to go stir crazy as they are instructed to remain in their homes while emergency crews survey the damage.
Horizon Power cannot dispatch crews to start restoring power until an official all clear is issued.
Despite the storm passing, the Fire and Emergency Services district manager for the East Pilbara Jim Cahill says residents must stay indoors.
"If they see emergency crews on the street it doesn't mean it is safe for them to go out," he said.
"It's just for emergency crews only and the all clear precaution will be issued as soon as possible."
FESA now says residents in low lying parts of Port Hedland are no longer under threat of a storm surge.
Brad Murphy lives in South Hedland and says his street has been completely flooded.
"Out the front of my house the water is actually over the road, so I'd say 250 millimetres [of rain]," he said.
Australia's largest bulk export port at Port Hedland has been shut down as the cyclone nears.
The port's Steed Farrell says bulk ore carriers and other ships have been sent to safer waters.
"The last thing we want is for those vessels to break their mooring and run aground or cause damage, so it's always much safer for vessels and port to clear the vessels to safer water outside the cyclone area," he said.
Dampier Port has sent the big ships out to safer waters.
Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals have stopped loading ships.
Oil and gas producers Woodside Petroleum and Santos say they have stopped production at some of their oilfields off the coast as the cyclone approaches.
Meanwhile, the Karijini and Millstream Chichester national parks remain shut after the rain caused flash flooding and inundation of roads and campsites in the parks.
Duty forecaster Darryl Vink says WA should be prepared for a number of cyclones this season.
"Potentially, we normally get four to five cyclones per season; we forecast slightly above that this year so we could expect another four to five, I guess," he said.
WANT TO SEE AUSTRALIA BY MOUSE? The interactive map inside has hundreds of towns. Don't forget to visit Tasmania. LOL
Wetter season likely for parts of the west and east of Australia
The national outlook for January to March 2012 shows the following:
* southeast Queensland and eastern NSW more likely to have wetter season * western WA more likely to have wetter season * parts of central and southern Australia more likely to have drier season
A persistently warm Indian Ocean and cool conditions in the tropical Pacific associated with the La Niña are driving this outlook.
Questions on Hurricanes and Tropical Cyclones .. and answers .. .. good stuff ..
I just saw a "Storm Stories" of a cyclone in Australia. What is the difference between a hurricane, cyclone and typhoon?
Frankie Hall Warrensburg, MO
Dear Frankie,
When it comes to tropical weather, the difference between a hurricane, typhoon and cyclone is basically in location. They all fall under the generic name of "tropical cyclone,” and they all develop from areas of low pressure and thunderstorms over warm oceans. In the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the International Dateline (western hemisphere), or the south Pacific Ocean east of Longitude 160 east, we call them hurricanes. Hurricanes affect not only the United States, but also Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean islands. In the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of the International Dateline (Eastern Hemisphere) they are called Typhoons. Typhoons affect areas such as Japan, China, Taiwan and the Philippines. In the Indian Ocean, and southern Pacific Ocean, the same storms are simply called “tropical cyclones” or "cyclones" for short, and sometimes called “severe tropical cyclones.” These tropical cyclones often affect northern Australia during their tropical season, which is during fall and winter to early spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
two more ..
I was told that if a man were to stand outside in a hurricane that the wind would be so powerful it would rip the shirt and tie clean off his body. Could this really happen? Adam
I forwarded your question to Dr. Steve Lyons, our hurricane expert at The Weather Channel. Here is his response:
”Having gone into a wind tunnel in sustained winds from toe to head of 160 mph, I can answer this question without a doubt of being wrong! Hurricane force winds of 74 mph are strong, but will NOT rip off your shirt or tie. In fact, if no debris is flying through the air, it is sort of fun! You can lean way into the wind without falling down, but it will not blow you away. However, it is difficult to walk forward without losing your balance. Once winds get to about 110 mph, standing without holding onto something is nearly impossible. The wind will blow you back and/or down and it is nearly impossible to keep your eyes open...the noise is deafening. But at least your clothes are not blown off. Once winds get to about 130 mph, you need to be tied into the wind tunnel or you will blow away, the wind is far too strong to stand in, and the noise is so loud that even when you shout as loud as you can into the wind you cannot hear anything except the wind’s roar. It becomes difficult to breathe out, as air only wants to rush into your mouth and lungs.
When winds get to 160 mph it is pure survival even being tied to the floor of a wind tunnel. It is very difficult to breathe. The force of the wind is so strong that it broke one of my ribs as I was pushed back so hard against my "climbing harness". One must wear ear plugs or you risk damaging your hearing because the wind's roar is so loud. These winds still will not tear the shirt off your back, but if there was blowing sand, you would be sandblasted to the extent that it would "blast" your clothing off your body. Also, your face would become so permanently defaced that you would be unrecognizable (both were observed in victims of the CAT 5 1935 hurricane in the Florida Keys.) It was impossible to keep my lips closed, my mouth was shut tight, but my lips were spread wide open and I was not able to close them.”
Wow! Adam, I think you'll agree this gives you a pretty good picture of the force of hurricane winds. Thanks for your question.
.. lol .. cool color bar, eh!
Nick, Is there a "purpose" for hurricanes? Mindy New Port Richey, FL
What a thoughtful and thought-provoking question! We tend to concentrate on the destruction of hurricanes and tropical storms, implying that they are always a “bad” thing.
The answer is, yes. There is an excess of heat energy in the tropical oceans around the globe. When a hurricane forms, it feeds off the warm moisture from the tropical waters and often travels toward the poles . The storm essentially carries some of the heat energy away from the area of excess energy, and transports it to areas with a deficit of heat energy. Thus tropical cyclones help to keep our planet's atmospheric energy supply in balance.
Something else to consider is that much of the United States’ east coast, as well as other areas affected by hurricanes, rely on tropical rainfall to keep the soil and groundwater supplies adequate for agriculture, human consumption, and recreation. When tropical cyclones do not bring that rain for a long time, these areas can sometimes experience drought.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that destructive hurricanes such as Katrina. Rita and Wilma are good for our way of life. But tropical cyclones are one of nature’s ways of keeping our weather and climate in balance, and we should treat them with awe and respect.
THOUSANDS have been ordered to evacuate as Tropical Cyclone Debbie barrels towards the north Queensland coast, bringing 280km/h (162mph) winds, flooding rain and a 4m tidal surge.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
.. lol .. cool color bar, eh! 
