‘Very Destructive’ Storm Hits Queensland, Australia

Category 5 TC MARCIA brings heavy rain, “abnormally high tides”

Cyclone MARCIA, described as a  “very destructive” storm has hit the coast of Queensland, Australia forcing evacuations of more than 1,000 homes, officials said.

MARCIA was upgraded to a Cat. 5 Tropical Cyclone with winds gusting up to 285km/h, before it struck Elcho Island and continued moving southwest, bringing heavy rain and generating “abnormally high tides,” said Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).

“Severe tropical cyclone Marcia, Category Five, is currently crossing the coast near Shoalwater Bay north of Yeppoon,” warning that its “destructive winds” threatened communities between St Lawrence and Gladstone, and Capricornia and Burnett later today.

Tens of thousands of residents in the cyclone path have been warned to take shelter where they can!

Storm surges forced authorities to evacuate neraly 900 residences in Yeppoon, while more than 100 people were evacuated from Lady Elliot Island. Hundreds of schools and child care centers along the northern Queensland have so far been ordered shut.

“Over the next 24 hours, Queenslanders are about to go through a harrowing and terrifying experience,” said Queensland Premier Palaszczuk.

“This is going to be a calamity, no doubt about that,” Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said, warning that it was a “desperate situation”.

“Our primary focus from this point on is the safety of all human life in that area.” he said. “You must find shelter.”

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia at 1:00 pm AEST:

Intensity: Category 3, sustained winds near the centre of 150 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 205 kilometres per hour.

Location: within 9 kilometres of 23.2 degrees South 150.5 degrees East, estimated to be 25 kilometres west southwest of Yeppoon and 105 kilometres northwest of Gladstone.

Movement: south at 19 kilometres per hour.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia, category 3, continues to move south over the northern Capricornia district and is expected to impact Rockhampton during the next couple of hours. It is expected to continue a southerly movement through today while slowly weakening. [Issued by BOM]

Meantime, Category 4 Tropical Cyclone LAM struck Australia’s Northern Territory, causing power outages to thousands of customers.

Related Links

• Two Tropical Cyclones Targeting Australia Posted on February 18, 2015

Two Tropical Cyclones Targeting Australia

Cyclones LAM and MARCIA zeroing in on Oz

TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING

Issued by ABOM at 11:00 pm ACST (UTC + 9:30) on Wednesday 18 February 2015

Severe Tropical Cyclone LAM is currently moving slowly west near the Wessel Islands, but it’s expected to turn towards the NE Top End coast on Thursday.

Warning Zone: Goulburn Island to Cape Shield, including Nhulunbuy and adjacent inland areas

Watch Zone: Croker Island to Goulburn Island and Cape Shield to Port Roper, including Groote Eylandt and inland areas towards Bulman.

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone LAM at 10:30 pm ACST:

Intensity: Category 3, sustained winds near the center of 120 km/hr with wind gusts to 165 km/hr.

Location: within 20km of 10.8ºS,  136.4ºE, about 165km NNW of Nhulunbuy and 165km NNE of Elcho Island.

Movement: NW at 6 km/hr. The cyclone is forecast to start moving southwest towards the coast during Thursday and intensify.

Hazards: VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds with gusts greater than 170 km/hr  should continue over the Wessel islands tonight and are expected to extend onto the mainland coast between Milingimbi and Gapuwiyak late Thursday. VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds may extend further east towards Nhulunbuy overnight Thursday and into early Friday if the cyclone takes a more southward track.

DESTRUCTIVE winds with gusts to 130 km/hrr should develop about the mainland coast between Maningrida and Nhulunbuy during Thursday before possibly extending over adjacent inland areas on Friday.

GALES with gusts to 110 km/hr may develop in coastal areas between Elcho Island and Nhulunbuy overnight or during early Thursday before possibly extending to Goulburn Island and Cape Shield and over adjacent inland areas during Thursday. GALES may extend further west to Croker Island or south to Port Roper and over inland areas towards Bulman and Gunbalanya on Friday depending on the track the cyclone takes.

Synoptic Situation:HERE

Tropical Cyclone MARCIA at 10:59 pm AEST (UTC+ 10:00):

Intensity: Category 1, sustained winds near the center of 65 km/hr with wind gusts to 95 km/hr.

Tropical Cyclone MARCIA still on track and may intensify to category 2 before landfall.

Location: within 55 km of 18.1ºS, 154.6ºE, about 690km  NEof Yeppoon and 790km NNE of Bundaberg.

Movement: SSW at 22 km/hr.

Tropical Cyclone MARCIA has developed over the central Coral Sea, and is slowly strengthening. During today, the system curved onto a southwesterly track, and it is expected to maintain this general motion through to landfall on the eastern Queensland coast between St Lawrence and Hervey Bay early on Friday. Marcia is expected to slowly intensify, with a high chance of reaching category 2 intensity by landfall.

A separate Severe Weather Warning is current for areas south of St Lawrence and west to the Great Dividing Range.

Hazards:

GALES are expected to develop about coastal and island communities between Sarina and Double Island Point on Thursday during the late afternoon or evening. Destructive wind gusts to 150 km/hr may develop about the coast and islands near the center on Friday morning.

Heavy rainfall will develop about coastal and island communities between Sarina and Double Island Point during Thursday, particularly over areas to the south of the system. A Flood Watch is current for the area.

Abnormally high tides will be experienced on Thursday with water levels expected to rise above the highest tide of the year on the high tide.

Synoptic Situation: HERE

Source: Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (ABOM)