cylone hamish

at roughly 20south 150 east now CAT 5
thats 420 miles north here
Outlying Islands already evacuated,
very big tides 6m, plus up there, Mackay is expected to flood

Posted 3 hours 53 minutes ago
Updated 2 hours 47 minutes ago
Authorities say category 5 cyclone Hamish poses a very significant threat.

Authorities say category 5 cyclone Hamish poses a very significant threat. (www.bom.gov.au: supplied)

* Video: Cyclone Hamish intensifies (ABC News)
* Map: Mackay 4740
* Related Story: Brutal winds as Hamish reaches Cat 5
* Related Link: Cyclone Hamish tracking map off Qld coast
* Related Link: Send us your photos and video

One of the most powerful storms ever to threaten the Queensland coast is starting to hammer the Whitsundays region in the state's north, with destructive winds and large seas.

Cyclone Hamish is a category five system about 155 kilometres north-east of Hayman Island.

Authorities say it poses a very significant threat, with winds of up to 295 kilometres per hour in the cyclone's centre.

The system is expected to pass within 100 kilometres of island communities this morning.

South Molle and Long islands in the Whitsundays region were evacuated overnight.

On Hamilton Island, there are about 3,000 people sheltering in the resort's cyclone-proof hotel.

Hamilton Island chief executive officer Glen Bourke says all staff are on deck securing boats and property.

"We're into cyclone warning blue, which means some of the residents ready to move into the Reef View Hotel which is out principal safe haven," he said.

There is another 200 people on Daydream Island.

Evacuation plan

Premier Anna Bligh has invoked powers to evacuate residents from areas in the path of cyclone Hamish.

The special powers allow disaster management groups to evacuate residents if they believe they are in danger.

Queensland Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts says the unpredictability of the cyclone, coupled with the possibility of a storm surge of up to two metres, means every precaution needs to be taken to keep residents safe.

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg will also get a briefing later today on the cyclone situation.

"What I will be doing as we are in caretaker mode in Queensland is contacting the Premier and making sure that we have all of the contingencies in place to ensure that the disaster recovery processes are well and truly planned for what may happen over the next couple of days," he said.

'Significant threat'

Queensland Cyclone Warning Centre spokesman Tony Auden says the storm is a very significant threat.

"We have had recorded wind gusts of up to 195 kilometres an hour on our offshore reefs and I would have thought the Whitsundays would be seeing some fairly decent winds," he said.

"We could see anything up to 150 or 160 kilometres per hour in terms of gusts, so fairly significant.

"Anything near the centre of the system which is as I said 150 kilometres offshore is anything up to 295 kilometres per hour, so a very significant system - but that saving grace is it's still a little bit offshore."

Weather bureau spokesman Jim Davidson says it is one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in Queensland.

"We do see cyclones of this intensity in the Queensland region," he said.

"As far as seeing a category 5 this close to the coast that is pretty rare - cyclone Larry was about this close to the coast when it was category 5, but it does happen."

Emergency plans

Emergency Management Queensland (EMQ) is confident sufficient plans have been put in place to deal with the cyclone.

EMQ deputy director Bruce Grady says they have learned many lessons from cyclone Larry which are now being put into practice.

"The local authorities, the district groups that support them and the state have been working together," he said.

"The planning is in place, people understand that this is a significant event.

"We're all hopeful of course it will keep its track out to sea but we plan for the worst and hope for the best."

The ABC's reporter Melissa Maddison in Mackay says many people are stocking up in preparation for the cyclone's arrival.

"Local shopping centres are packed as people stock up on essentials," she said.

"Supermarket shelves have been stripped bare of bottled water, bread and batteries."

Hamish is Queensland's third cyclone of the season and the biggest system, comparable to cyclones Larry and Monica in 2006.

 

We don't get those here, but is must be devistating.

If you have plans for setting a new speed sail record then this must be it

Another reason for making the boat trailable.

If you have no choice, at least partly it supplies to some extent it's own means of getting out of the way of the worst.

 

yes fans,if that wind hits those flash northern marinas, boats will be like leaves on the breeze

 

What do they do to prevent a wipeout ? Cannot think it practical to take all the boats out on the hard.

Hoping it won't change direction seems a bit wreckless

 

well on land we tie em to big concrete anchors,, but in the water, you just prey, , if I had boat up there would ram it into the mangroves with big anchors to weather

 

I wish everyone ther only the best luck. There is not much that will hold up to those winds. Sounds like you are all well informed and have proper plans.
Best to all of you.

 

It is a beauty all right.

My wife said she needs to go back to church because someone in Australia needs to make up with the Almighty power:
In our 11th year of drought in Victoria - dams lowest since being built.
Most devastating wild fires ever in Australia.
Record flooding in North Queensland
Record flooding in the Pilbara.
Earthquake (only 4.8 Richter) in Victoria on Friday.
And now Hamish - its track looks deadly - If it gets to Gladstone or Bundaberg as a cat 4 even, it will do serious damage. Stuff there is not built to better than Cat 3. Much of it pre-dates cyclone resistant design.

I cannot understand the prediction of its track. It is very unusual to come so far south. Is it hot in Brisbane?

At least all the rebuilding will keep the economy going providing insurers and government can continue to pay.

Rick W

 

I was here when Tracy came in 72, tracy was the biggy, but jus like down in Florida, nobody learnt, built paper houses instead round ones
yes Rick its muggy at 27s on coast, wind is not building here, and have not been to coast, which is 6 miles as crow flies, abt 15 knots at mo
2 years ago I left Nimbus in Gladstone on hard, I went around the yard, was junk everywhere, I said to my owner, if we cop a depression that stuff will be airborne
to those of you in Northern parts, cyclones only happen 10 S- 28S or thereabts
In the safer quadrant, if you were there you would be pushed to the reef areas

 

Not really in Germany are we whoosh?

 

did it take you so long to figure, BUT when i regd I was there, you understand now? good. i never even tried hide, see even have websitre here, best rgds to you time moves on