Up early with Tasha !!!##@@??.............................

[Guest Maj Millard]

For some unknown reason I awoke around 3am this morning, for an early cup of tea. About that time Tropical Cyclone Tasha (Cat1) would have been passing over Farris area just South of Cairns (he attracts all the girls). We recieved a couple of hours of very heavy rain here in the Townsville area, which will no doubt cause even more local flooding and road closures. We still have moderate winds from the system.

 

It's quite amazing how much cloud and rain even a small Cat 1 can start to reel in from a large area. Had Tasha cooled her heels out to sea for a day or two, things may well have been a lot more ferocous here on the coast.

 

Like a good taildragger, it's not over till it's over so we will watch Tasha as she moves into the Gulf of Carpenteria where often they re-intensify......................Maj...

 

 

[Spin]

Yeah, been wondering how Frank and co fared. I was up at much the same time, checking on the radar and was met with the news that the young lady had been born and was on the march. We're having a bit of a break now, just misty drizzle, but there were a series of heavy showers throughout the night and I believe some parts of the Coast have had around the 90mm mark. Geez I really hope we're not being prepped for a real sousing next week - from my reading of the weather sites, BoM and amateur, there seems to be quite a bit of uncertainty just how this is going to pan out, someone is probably going to cop a bucket load, just a question of whether it is one of the big centres.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

It has turned into the traditional 'stinker' of a day for christmas in the Hunter. Blue skies calm winds. laid back sort of day.

 

Cat 1, good for kite flying.

 

 

[Guest Kevin the Penniless]

I woke early this morning to, so I went flying in calm, cool conditions. Even the grass hoppers were still asleep (they have been a nuisance here the last few weeks). Now, I'm off to get fatter at Christmas lunch. Enjoy your day folks...

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

It has just been a very active wet season this year, remanisant of the big northern wets of the 50s. One mate out bush, (Xair pilot) who's old man has all the rain tallys written in pencil on the back door, says it's the best rain they've had since 1974. Kevin, Spin and Ozzie....you enjoy it while you can, because you've had your share also no doubt.

 

I think we are far from done yet, but really nice to see that most of our continent has had a bit of rain...........what a time to go for a fly around the country if you can swing it !!........Maj...

 

 

[farri]

G`Day Ross and everyone else,

 

I check the weather on the Bom and the Sea Breeze site several times daily and yesterday the Bom 4 day Sea level pressure forcast,showed a low in the gulf of Carpentaria but nothing abnormal for our area,I knew we were in for some serious rain but that`s nothing unusual,I knew nothing about a cyclone though.

 

About 3 am today the wind started picking up but nothing to wory about,just part of the storm we were getting,I thought. At around 5.30 am an almighty gust then an explosion and 3 sets of glass louvres that make up the window in the room that I sleep in and have this computer in,simply got blown completely out,took out frames and all,went off like a bomb.Fortunately they were sucked out, had they been blown in I would have been injured.I`ve had to nail a couple of sheets of iron over the hole,until I can get to town.

 

The Mulgrave river was 1.5 mts over the old bridge on the Bruce Highway, at Gordonvale,at 11 am this morning.We`re flooded in at the moment,probably for the next couple of days as the Mulgrave goes over the road between here and the Bruce Higway.

 

Though we`ve had 225 mls from 9.00 am yesterday to 9.00 am today,the rain has eased and it shouldn`t be too bad a flood, we`ve seen it happening for 40 years and I know how to deal with it.

 

If I can get off the ground ,I`ll go for a fly tomorrow,have a look around and take some pics.

 

Cheers,

 

Frank.

 

 

[dazza 38]

I hope you guys up North are OK.If it doesnt stop raining, we all will need boats to get around.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Good to hear you'r all well Frank, that sounds like a lucky escape. Would it be the first time a sheila has tried to break in to get to you ??...We are still getting heavy falls, off and on here in Townsville, but we are used to it by now, a damn good reason to drink a bit more brandy !... have a nice holiday season.........Cheers, stay dry, Ross and family

 

 

[Spin]

Frank, despite not having anything to do with the land anymore, I have a fair interest in the weather and have started keeping an eye on www.weatherzone.com.au. There is a whole section dedicated to your neck of the woods and another for SEQ. You need to have the BS filter set to high with some of the comments, but there are a lot of very informed people there, including some BoM forecasters who provide the benefit of their experience, not constrained by official policies etc.

 

I haven't paid for the premium version, there is more than enough for me just in the forums. Incidentally there is a strong school of thought there that we could be in for a bit more than BoM is forecasting for SEQ, ie 2nd coming of Noah stuff. I'm not convinced yet, but have laid in some extra supplies and will be keeping a close eye on developments, this this isn't one to be complacent about.

 

PS Glad you escaped relatively unscathed.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Spin,I have been watching the remains of Tasha all day and the general movement trend is towards the South, so it's quite possible you may see some good rains down there in the SE............maj...

 

 

[farri]

Would it be the first time a sheila has tried to break in to get to you ??Hell no Ross, happens all the time,why do you think I nailed the iron on.

 

Spin,Thanks for that.

 

I started using the Bom site years ago when I first got a computer, I was farming then and it helped me greatly in my day to day decission making,still enjoy checking the weather each day,though I`m not farming anymore.

 

Frank.

[Spin]

Yep Maj, quite an interesting little set up that could go several ways . Really, really hoping that GFS have got it wrong - because we are in the poo (deep poo at that) if the situation sketched in one of their predictions comes off. (These charts are prone to quite big swings in totals, esp several days out, so no call for panic - yet!)

 

Rgds Carl

 

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Spin, What is actual link to this site, because it looks like they were spot-on this time.........................maj...