Cyclone Debbie

[meatservo]

In our prayers...


meatservo

[MarkJ]

Gusts at Hamilton Island now 125 knots! 232 kmph!

4 hours of over 100 knot gusts!


http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ60801/IDQ60801.94368.shtml

[2Wind]

My understanding of the difference between the USA classification and the ROW classification is that the wind averaging algorithm is different.
In the US, they use a 1 minute average.
In the ROW, they use a 10 minute average.
The former can result in higher "readings" hence the difference in the scales.

Open the following link and click on #2 in definitions. You can even download a very detailed scientific treatise on the subject.
Frequently Asked Questions

[tuskie]

The first rig has fallen. A catamaran in Abel Point Marina has recently lost its mast. I hope that its not setting a trend.

[downunder]

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie at 10:00 am AEST:

Intensity: category 4, sustained winds near the centre of 175 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 250 kilometres per hour.
Location: within 30 kilometres of 19.9 degrees South, 148.9 degrees East , 75 kilometres east of Bowen and 50 kilometres north of Hamilton Island .
Movement: southwest at 6 kilometres per hour .

Severe tropical cyclone Debbie is currently a category 4 cyclone. While small temporary variations in the track have been observed, as happens with all cyclones, the system is still forecast to move slowly west-southwest and make landfall on the mainland between about Cape Upstart and Airlie Beach early this afternoon.

Recent significant wind gust observations include:

- 232 km/h at Hamilton Island airport at 9:30 am.
- 122 km/h at Proserpine Airport 9:41 am
- 107 km/h at Bowen Airport at 8:55 am


Hazards:

The VERY DESTRUCTIVE CORE of severe tropical cyclone Debbie is now starting to impact the Whitsunday Islands and the nearby mainland. The centre of the system is forecast to cross the mainland coast between Cape Upstart and Airlie Beach early this afternoon with wind gusts potentially to 270 km/h near the centre.

DESTRUCTIVE WINDS with gusts over 125 km/h are occurring about the coast and islands between about Bowen and Midge Point, including Proserpine, and will extend further along the coast to areas between Ayr and Sarina during this morning or afternoon. These DESTRUCTIVE WINDS may extend further northwest along the coast to Townsville and to adjacent inland areas, including Collinsville, Charters Towers, and Mount Coolon during the day today. It is possible that these DESTRUCTIVE WINDS may extend further south along the coast to St Lawrence today.

According to TV airlie looks as bad as anywhere and there is concern at the Marina.

[TopHat]

Hamilton Is went from ESE to WNW in an instant about 30 minutes ago & "eased" to 95 knots sustained, still gusting 120 knots
https://www.seabreeze.com.au/weather...-central-coast

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by TopHat

Hamilton Is went from ESE to WNW in an instant about 30 minutes ago & "eased" to 95 knots sustained, still gusting 120 knots
https://www.seabreeze.com.au/weather...-central-coast

Just got the new one!

142 Knots!!!

142!

[MarkJ]

Note wind shift.

So the eye has passed.
Remember how people say that after the eye can be stronger?

Note the pressure lower!

[TopHat]

Yes Mark, doesn't look like it's "easing" at all, just stepped up another few notches on the gusts.
I'm amazed how quickly the winds changed direction instantly, nothing of the classic calm eye, at Hamilton Is.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by TopHat

Yes Mark, doesn't look like it's "easing" at all, just stepped up another few notches on the gusts.
I'm amazed how quickly the winds changed direction instantly, nothing of the classic calm eye, at Hamilton Is.

But thats crazy that the wind shift, so eye has gone over, wind is still strong, so that means they could have been on the Eye Wall the whole time (Hayman got the eye), but the CRAZY thing is after the wind change the pressure has gone DOWN!?

Why is that?

[TopHat]

Maybe the wind directional gauge is broken??

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by TopHat

Maybe the wind directional gauge is broken??

The wind guage blew off the airport in Hurricane Gonzalo here in the Caribbean.
very funny

Wind Now W; Av 94kts; Gusts 115kts; Pressure lower again at 964.5

[MarkJ]

Those dopey backpackers in Airlie Beach that are having a cyclone Party had beet be careful. If it does hit them with the eye wall at 142 knots from the NW there isnt any protection from those hills.

Airlie beach will be a friggin sand dune... as for that marina...

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Those dopey backpackers in Airlie Beach that are having a cyclone Party had beet be careful. If it does hit them with the eye wall at 142 knots from the NW there isnt any protection from those hills.

Airlie beach will be a friggin sand dune... as for that marina...

Hard to keep it lit in that much wind!!!!!!!

[downunder]

Eye wall of severe tropical cyclone Debbie is impacting the Whitsunday Islands and mainland coast.

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie at 11:00 am AEST:

Intensity: category 4, sustained winds near the centre of 185 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 260 kilometres per hour.
Location: within 30 kilometres of 20.1 degrees South, 148.8 degrees East , 65 kilometres east of Bowen and 35 kilometres north northwest of Hamilton Island .
Movement: southwest at 9 kilometres per hour .

Severe tropical cyclone Debbie is currently a category 4 cyclone. While small temporary variations in the track have been observed, as happens with all cyclones, the system is still forecast to move slowly west-southwest and make landfall on the mainland between Bowen and Airlie Beach around midday, or early this afternoon.

Recent significant wind gust observations include:

- 263 km/h at Hamilton Island airport at 10:25am.
- 139 km/h at Proserpine Airport 10:22 am
- 120 km/h at Bowen Airport at 10:41 am

Indications from local TV the eye is at Airlie Beach now. Seems more wind at Airlie/Hamilton Is than Bowen.