Topic: Big wind's a'comin'

It's been 32 years since Cyclone Tracy flattened Darwin; looks like we're soon gonna find out if all them engineering types got the new designs right

There's a big one comin' this time, 250 -> max 350km/hr if we take a direct hit ; see ya'll later - hopefully

Clicky for latest track map

quote:

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see ya'll later - hopefully

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Sure as help so man.... You take care.

whoo, looks exciting, make sure you get in touch tomorrow and let us know how it goes!

Well....... thanks for the good wishes, must have worked

In a quirk of nature that the victims of the recent Cyclone Larry in Queensland, or the shattered residents of New Orleans, could only pray for, Cyclone Monica, a Category 5 monster, missed us



After heading inexorably for us for several days, and with about 200km = 12 hours to go before the eye passed over us with measured winds of 350/hr+, the wind was already stirring here in Darwin when she veered inland and lost her sting in the ensuing few hours.



Cyclones are so unpredictable that, in the next few hours she veered back on her old course and the eye just passed straight over us.

The difference being that, other than some squally rain, the wind was only about 50-60 km/hr.....nothing

Unfortunately for someone, she's headed back out to sea to power up and then find landfall further West; hopefully somewhere sparsely populated!

PS Naturally the images are lifted.....I'm not in that line of work.

Glad to hear your all ok Ian,
happy Anzac day as well!

Good to hear "the big wind" did not cause any havoc for you Ian.
Is it Autumn where you are now? The reason I'm asking is, spring is well and truly springing here in merrie olde Englande and I saw this little fella flapping his wings mightily in an antipodean direction.
You never can tell.

Thanks, Maruman.

Tao, where we live is well into the Tropics, approx Latitude 13, so we don't have normal seasons as such. Starting about now, we should be at the end of the wet season, so no cyclones etc, nand the humidity should drop with clear skies. This lasts to about October when the build up starts, humidity levels rise but no rain ; a trying time for many people particularly before the spread of air conditioners - not a time to be working outside

In early December/January, the rains start and last to about early April; Easterish. In those few months we will recieve some 1.5 -> 1.8 metres of rain on average and then that's it; rain during the dry season is cause for considerable comment - usual muttering re global warming, black cats, chinamen etc - it's rare indeed.

To give you an idea, this month we have had 385mm already, and over 1.4 metres since New Year!!

We're going mouldy - it should stop NOW! .....there'll be a few showers from this cyclone and then blue skies 'til prob September or October

BTW That's a great "buttaofly" but I haven't seen him here yet... welcome anytime

Thanks for that brief tour of the seasons Ian, I found it fascinating. I do often forget that Australia has a rain forest and is in a temperate zone.
I think it would take a bit of getting used to for pom like myself to live there, I'm so accustomed to the procession of the English seasons (I love them dearly too)
Three months of rain, flippin' heck Do some people go mad? Heh, I like the rain, I like what it does to the gardens and countryside. I love the sound of rain on the roofs of buildings and (sturdy) tents. I even like the smell of it, but three months!
Being the adaptive little mammals we are, I guess our natures change to suit our surroundings, especially if we are native to the area.
I made the "buttaofly" (nice one) a while back for one of the BigSigs, which reminds me, I'll have to get cracking on this months entry, I don't want go breaking any promises I made to master Suho now do I?
Btw, at first when I read the title of your post, I had just been listening to Dylans "Hard Rain" and I thought the subject matter was going to be political.

[doh]Illiterate fingers[/doh]

(Edited by Tao on 04-26-2006 11:54)

Yes, Tao, some peeps do go mad, but during the humid build up..... it's a recognized psycho disorder - "mango madness" or "going troppo". It doesn't rain constantly for 3 months, although some times it feels like it
Longest non stop rain I've experienced.... started early Thursday and didn't let up 'til Tuesday PM!!!

Click here for a list of Darwin weather averages and extremes if you're into stats.

[OT] Great Jetsons inspired sig [/OT]