Wild Weather North Queensland

[Garpal Gumnut]

Rain and floods and wind, overnight.

The Bruce Highway is closed north and south of Townsville.

We just had a " tornado " through. Powerlines down.

gg

 

[Knobby22]

Just remember GG, it has absolutely nothing to do with global warming causing extra energy to enter the atmosphere.

Have you ever had a "tornado' before?

 

[spooly74]

Just remember GG, it has absolutely nothing to do with global warming causing extra energy to enter the atmosphere.

Have you ever had a "tornado' before?

Was this a tornado or a nice buzzword for the media?

Bureau of Meteorologist senior forecaster Brett Harrison said the highest recorded wind gust was 111km/h at Townsville Airport just after 5am. Townsville had 60mm of rain in the hour to 6am.
The storm cell was not unexpected, Mr Harrison said, and the bureau had issued warnings of severe rain and wind gusts for the region.

Those warnings remain current.

Mr Harrison said the bureau was not describing it as a tornado as there were no reports of a funnel. It was similar to the storm cell that ripped through The Gap in Brisbane a few years ago.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-new...mashes-townsville-suburbs-20120320-1vgqr.html

3 - 4 March 1867 The settlement of Townsville was not three years old when the inhabitants experienced their first cyclone. The cyclone "raged for two days and few structures withstood the onslaught"

20 February 1870 A cyclone which wreaked havoc in Townsville for at least 12 hours was described as "terrific". Nearly every house in town suffered at least some damage, with many homes completely unroofed.

January 1871 Meteorological Observations commenced at Pilot Station, Townsville Port.

26 - 27 January 1896 Cyclone "Sigma" caused massive destruction to Townsville and surrounding areas. 18 lives were lost, most of whom were killed when Ross River broke it banks flooding parts of the town to a depth of two metres.

9 March 1903 Cyclone "Leonta" - described as "surpassing cyclone "Sigma" in violence" and "caused more destruction than ever experienced in Townsville".

January 1940 Observations transferred to Townsville Airport

January 1940 Townsville Met Watch Office opened at Townsville Aerodrome

July 1940 All staff in the Bureau transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force Directorate of Meteorological Services for the duration of hostilities.

18 February 1940 Citizens of Townsville spend another anxious night sitting out a tropical cyclone. The greatest damage occurred on The Strand where the mountainous seas left a trail of wreckage.

1946 saw the Bureau reverting to civilian status and control returned to the then Department of Interior.

1955 Townsville Radio Aids Building opened on RAAF Base

6 March 1956 Cyclone "Agnes" the first Australian Tropical Cyclone tracked on radar. Many houses suffered roof damage with at least 20 homes left uninhabitable.

24 December 1971 Cyclone Althea. The force of the wind caused heavy steel poles to bend, lifted houses from stumps and stripped trees of their foliage. Record wind gust of 197km/h at Townsville Airport.

February 1995 Combined Townsville Met Watch Office and Observations moved to new building. Officially opened by Ted Lindsay MP.

10 January 1998 Ex Cyclone Sid produces flooding rains. Townsville Met Office measures a record 548.8mm of rain in 24 hours. Our volunteer rainfall network showed some suburbs received over 700mm in 24 hours.

 

[Julia]

Well, whatever the cause, you're obviously having a pretty unpleasant time up there, gg.
Hope it improves soon.
It has been bad enough down here with over 100mls in a few hours last weekend, followed by persistent showers.
Today is actually fine. Hallelujah!

I remember when there was the prolonged drought how I longed for the sound of rain on the roof. Now I dread it.

 

[Timmy]

Rain and floods and wind, overnight.

The Bruce Highway is closed north and south of Townsville.

We just had a " tornado " through. Powerlines down.

gg

Good luck up there GG.