In the path of destruction - Part 2

As I've just returned from a part of our state of Queensland that is about to be hit by Tropical Cyclone Ului I thought it would be interesting to blog about the progress.

This afternoon, Saturday 20 March 2010, the Bureau of Meteorology has upgraded Ului's intensity to a category 3 cyclone.

Here's what the website says about the destructive capacity of a category 3 cyclone.

CATEGORY 3 (severe tropical cyclone)
Some roof and structural damage. Some caravans destroyed. Power failures likely.
A Category 3 cyclone's strongest winds are VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds with typical gusts over open flat land of 165 - 224 km/hr (102 - 140 miles/hr).
These winds correspond to the highest category on the Beaufort scale, Beaufort 12 (Hurricane).

Here's the latest expected tracking of Tropical Cyclone Ului as of 4.00pm Saturday 20 March 2010 (Remember that we're +10 GMT). All images are clickable for a larger image.

Image from http://www.bom.gov.au

I have work colleagues in Townsville and Mackay. Below is a map of the state of Queensland so you can put this into perspective. I live in Brisbane, much further south and not in the path of the cyclone.

Image from http://websites.golden-orb.com

Tropical Cyclone Ului is expected to hit the coast somewhere between Ayr and Mackay in the early hours of Sunday morning, 21 March 2010.

And for those of you who are wondering where the state of Queensland is located in Australia here's another map to help you out.

Image from http://www.maps-oceania.com

And the latest news indicates that emergency services are already being prepared. From www.news.com.au:

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has declared a disaster zone across the state's central and northern coast ahead of the anticipated arrival of tropical cyclone Ului.

"This declaration is in anticipation that some properties may need to be evacuated in the coming hours as Tropical Cyclone Ului approaches and then crosses the North Queensland coast," Ms Bligh said.

"The declaration gives Emergency Services agencies the power of mandatory evacuations if required."