Yasi
 

North Queensland is about to be hit by the biggest cyclone in the recorded history of our country.

This follows massive flooding over much of the state which has only recently receeded for the clean up to begin.

Life is a stuggle for many of my fellow Queenslanders at the moment.

http://www.bom.gov.au/gms/IDE00035.t...1102020030.jpg

Blows to be in OZ right Now !!!!! ;)

My Mom used to say: "It's just one thing after another"
Floods then cyclone...in your case I'd say: "Keep your head up"

This really belongs in the "news that makes me angry" thread, but seeing we're talking about Queensland and the latest catastrophe to befall it, have to say that I was FURIOUS when Tony Abbott (the Opposition leader) said recently that if the Liberals were in power, there would be no tax/levy (whatever you want to call it) to assist Queensland with rebuilding after the floods. The tax for each individual of five dollars a week is only slightly more than the cost of a coffee which people who earn over $50, 000 can well afford. If this had not come up, he would have accused the current government of being callous and unfeeling and unAustralian. The hypocrisy of someone who claims to be a Christian makes me livid.

isn't the word for that "pandering"?

nauseating.

We keep looking out for news, Ali. But at present all our news channels are showing nothing happening live in Egypt. Yawn. I assume as they have their crews out there, they are trying to get their money's worth.

Do keep us up to date on what is happening.
I really must sort out our Skype connection so we can talk to my Uncle and family. We have a lot of minor but important family news about Grandad's health to pass on, and they have an update on biblical conditions currently befalling QLD.

Hope all our Aussie Dwellars are safe and sound and no-one too near and dear to you is affected too badly.

This map is EST (US) Feb 2.
Yasi is still classified as Category 4 !

Coober Pedy doesn't sound so bad right now. ;)

Ditto

No loss of life from Yasi at this stage which is an excellent outcome. In fact, three babies were born as the cyclone passed overhead.

We have been very lucky. Yasi continues as a level 2 tropical cyclone even though it is now 100 miles inland. That is unheard of.

I wonder if they'll all be named Yasi.

Glad to hear all you all came out ok Ali.

One young man was found dead in his home. Cause of death is CO2 poisoning after having his generator on inside the house.

The media seem quietly disappointed by the lack of fatalities.

I think the Brisbane floods put the wind up people (eh?) so that everyone took the warnings seriously.

Thing is, though, all that tropical ex-cyclonic air is now wafting about over the inland. It is likely to drift south, and if it meets a low pressure trough or cold front off the southern ocean, it could dump huge amounts of rain.
Again.
Lord knows where the next flood will be.

Ya know what? I still hate drought much, much more than flood.

Seconded.

Don't they have huge empty reservoirs that could be filled to hold all that water to fight the drought?

Amazing photos, via ABC-au: http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/cy...si/gallery.htm

You can almost imagine the houses are meant to be roofless, like some life-size museum.

Australia experienced drought for years. From 2003-until 2009 huge swathes of Aus were subject to drought. One of the reasons for flooding is that when the rain falls, it falls too fast to seep into the ground and provide water for the medium to long term, it simply runs across the super-dry land. Reservoirs and dams are not really boosted by flash floods.

Things are far better than they were due to reasonably consistent rainfall, especially in QLD, since 2009. Now Australia faces the opposite problem thanks to La Nina - the cooler, female equivilant of El Nino.

But the bottom line is that Australia is the driest inhabited continent. And in large parts it is simply not a friendly place to live. Aussies love their homeland. It just doesn't love them back so much.

@SG - I wish I could live there.

@gvidas - great photos!

Reservoirs aren't empty anymore.

So once again it's not the right time to visit Coober Pedy - they'll all be in their wellies down there...

I'll make it one day.
America, Kenya, Kerala and New Zealand are first, sorry.
But I do keep entering competitions for holidays to Aus, especially any which involve the Indian Pacific railway, or The Ghan.
Platinum Service, yes please. Okay I'm not likely to meet a lonely miner or rancher travelling that way, but being rich enough to afford it would be its own consolation :)

You could always enter "Farmer wants a wife."

We've just started Monday, so now you're officially employed as a Learning Support Assistant. Hope that we'll be hearing all about it.

Ah - I can't remember where I put it now.
Oh yes, in Monster's thread OMG SG!

I see you are now stricken by bushfires (Perth)
You're having a hella time right now...

I think that only Tassie, SA and NT have missed on calamaties this year.

Oh Casi, you've just jinxed them I'm afraid.

I'm afraid my ability to be discreet is rather intermittent.