Australien: Yasi är nära nu

Av Martin Hedberg

Den tropiska orkanen Yasi är nu mycket nära kusten i nordöstra Queensland. Visst har man haft tropiska orkaner tidigare och visst bygger man hus för att möta naturens krafter. Men Yasi är extraordinär. Den är helt enkelt betydligt kraftigare än den genomsnittliga tropiska orkanen. Och även om man har erfarenhet av tidigare orkaner så betyder inte det att man kommer ett klara sig från skador. Det australienska samhället står nu inför stora prövningar.

Issued at 8:54 pm EST Wednesday 2 February 2011.

Extremt kraftiga vindar och skyfall på marker som redan var mättade av vatten och i ett samhälle som redan var sargat av översvämningar. Hur mycket kan det då blåsa? Man beräknar att det skall uppstå vindbyar på knappt 300 km/h. Väderstationer kommer inte att kunna mäta detta, de blåser sönder redan vid lägre hastigheter. Denna orkan är något som ingen idag levande person i Australien har upplevt.

Nedan återger vi vad australienska statliga vädertjänsten skriver:

Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi.

THE VERY DESTRUCTIVE CORE OF CYCLONE YASI WILL CROSS THE COAST NEAR INNISFAIL CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT, WITH A DANGEROUS STORM TIDE AND BATTERING WAVES SOUTH OF THE CYCLONE CENTRE.

Tropical Cyclone Yasi, CATEGORY 5, will continue to move in a west-southwesterly direction and is expected to cross the coast near Innisfail close to midnight.

Coastal residents between Cairns and Ayr are specifically warned of an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SEA LEVEL RISE [i.e. storm tide] as the cyclone approaches, crosses the coast and moves inland.

Higher than normal tides will exceed the high water mark with damaging waves and flooding in low lying areas in remaining warning areas to the south of Ayr.

VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds with gusts up to 290 km/h are expected to develop between Cairns and Ingham during the next few hours as the cyclone approaches. These VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds will extend inland to the nearby ranges including the Atherton Tablelands.

Due to the large size of the cyclone, people in the path of the VERY DESTRUCTIVE WINDS are likely to experience these conditions for about 3 to 4 hours.

DESTRUCTIVE winds with gusts in excess of 125 km/h between Cape Tribulation and Ayr are expected to spread inland overnight.

DAMAGING WINDS with gusts to 90 km/hr are occurring in remaining coastal areas between Cape Flattery and Sarina, and are forecast to spread inland and west to Mt Isa during Thursday.

Winds are forecast to gradually ease about the east coast during Thursday morning as the cyclone moves inland.

FLOODING RAINS will develop from Cooktown to Sarina tonight and gradually extend inland.

People in the path of the very dangerous cyclone should stay calm and remain in a secure shelter, above the expected water level, while the very destructive winds continue.
– Do not venture outside if you find yourself in the eye of the cyclone; very destructive winds from a different direction could resume at any time.
– Follow the evacuation advice or directions of Police, Emergency Services personnel and local authorities.

AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY. TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING CENTRE BRISBANE.

Issued at 8:54 pm EST Wednesday 2 February 2011. Refer to Tropical Cyclone Advice Number 21.

/Martin