TC Bianca & Anthony

[Steve]

Looks like you're expecting unwelcome visitors Kim & Alan. Batten down the hatches & stay safe...

Bianca.JPG (63.85 KiB) Viewed 20096 times

Anthony.JPG (63.48 KiB) Viewed 20096 times

[Kim]

Yes, the mongrel thing looks to be heading right over my roof. Will know a bit more tomorrow, strength and direction can change considerably in a short time making them very unpredictable....it can take the house, but it better leave my bloody shed alone...I just cleaned up.

Here is Bianca @ 3pm WST 29/01/11

Bianca 3pm 29.JPG (62.06 KiB) Viewed 20088 times

Here's Tony @ 5pm EST 29/01/11

Tony 5est 29.JPG (64.83 KiB) Viewed 20088 times

[Allen]

Clouds and wind are picking up a bit as the day has progressed up here in Cairns. Don't wish one of them on anyone, and I sure as hell don't need one coming over top of my shed.

[Bob Connor]

You blokes can send all of your wood to me. I'll look after it.

[Kim]

Its only 3:20pm here atm and its pretty dark, the rain has just started accompanied by a bit of electrical activity. That is the big issue here in the west, fire. It's been as dry as for far too long and with the expected lighting, all the southwest is on severe fire alert...this could get real ugly further down the coast a bit, big winds and lots of tall and 'very' dry fuel can mean real disaster.

Its been above 38c (100f) here for most the day, I'm going to sit in the rain and have a cold beer

[Kim]

You blokes can send all of your wood to me. I'll look after it.

Get rooted Bob

[Bob Connor]

[Kim]

kims shed.gif (94.6 KiB) Viewed 20077 times

[Kim]

OK, 6pm WST and Bianca has now been down graded to a cat 2 tropical cyclone just like Tony on the other side of AU that is heading toward NQLD...This be better than the cat 3 which is a 'severe' TC she was earlier today.... must be the beer....is there anything it can't do?

Bianca 6pm 29.JPG (60.94 KiB) Viewed 20068 times

[Allen]

Nope. Nothing it can't do.

[kiwigeo]

The frigging rig Im due to go to is currently demanned as are other rigs off the NW shelf...I might get back to work in late Feb at this rate. Was just talking to wife of a Geologists buddy and she reckons one of the Chevron rigs had a contractor's shack (=large shipping container) get blown overboard.

[Kim]

Bianca 9pm WST 29.JPG (62.07 KiB) Viewed 20060 times

[Kim]

Bianca 3am WST 30.JPG (56.63 KiB) Viewed 20053 times

Bianca has aligned herself up the coast just a little so it looks like it will be going right over our house...(should not have put the arrow on that map to show it where I'm hiding)...not so bad though because she has now been downgraded to cat 1, so is now the same force as TC Tony off Townsville in QLD. The difference is that Bianca is expected to lose a little steam as she crosses the coast and downgrades further to a destructive low. Anthony however is predicted to pick up pace to perhaps a cat 2 just before it reaches Townsville but will down grade again back to cat 1 as it blows through.

Good luck Liam and Alan and anyone else on the upper QLD coast. I know you guys see these things much more than we do down the southern coast of WA so you are naturally better prepared, but I hope QLD comes through completely unscathed because they've had enough of late.

Cheers

Kim

[Steve]

Kim, it seems to have corrected it's course & straightened up directly towards your shed. It's almost as if there's a source of warm & high-pressure air that resides somewhere in your vicinity.

[Kim]

Kim, it seems to have corrected it's course & straightened up directly towards your shed. It's almost as if there's a source of warm & high-pressure air that resides somewhere in your vicinity.

It's OK Steve, I'm out of bed now

[Kim]

Bianca @ 5am

Bianca 5am WST 30.gif (86.34 KiB) Viewed 20043 times

[kiwigeo]

With any luck that shitty domestic airport will get blown away....

Not looking good there Kim....hope youre all battened down.

[Kim]

Not looking good there Kim....hope youre all battened down.

Well Marty I did start to batten down and just as we got everything secured Bianca blew herself out about 100 Ks off the coast. Latest reports predict it will be a strong sea breeze at best. Mind we could do with that to cool things down. The little drip of rain we got yesterday arvo was just enough to make things really sticky and uncomfortable...Despite the threat of big winds from the cyclone, most all in WA were looking forward to a decent bit of rain, its been too long but I guess its not to be this time.

Cheers all

Kim

[kiwigeo]

The way the weather patterns are of late I wouldnt be surprised to see at least one more cyclone take a look see down your way.

[liam_fnq]

Been on the house roof screwing down the 50yo roof today. Now when it blows away instead of leaving all the rafters and battens the whole roof structure will prob sail away in one go. Moved my garden shed on Friday so I can put in a workshop. there was still shit everywhere but I got about half of it stored away. the shed's not tied down to anything

hopefully it'll fizz out but at the moment it's one big Mofo. Tomorrow at work we'll be tying down the freestanding switchboards and the bundles of conduits etc. thank god the roofers aren't on site yet or there'd be stacks of sheet iron everywhere. once all the work's done I can just sit back and relax

[Allen]

If the wind blows right all that clean up where the garden shed was will take care of itself.

We've pulled everything that looks loose inside and are hoping for the best. Hoping for a strong breeze at best. Going to be an anxious week.

[Kim]

Big mofo is right Liam

Yasi 5am 010211.JPG (74.79 KiB) Viewed 19964 times

Hope she blows herself out and all come through unscathed.

Cheers

Kim

[kiwigeo]

Yeah hope you guys get through it all unscathed. Thats one mean looking storm.

[Kim]

This image probably puts things into perspective...this is a 'big' cyclone by any standard.

[liam_fnq]

It's looking like my house is the bullseye for this Mofo. My poor little 50yo Queenslander shack is unfortunately not built to withstand a direct hit from a cat 4 cyclone. On the up side the whole house from the bearers to the studs to the weatherboards to the rafters are silky oak. So I could be building silky oak ukes exclusively for a while.

The dog and I be riding this one out at a mates nice new block house. The misses is part of the council disaster team and will ride it out in the council's "war room". It might even disturb her sleep. maybe.

For anyone who wants to see what a cat 4 cyclone can do here's images from Larry that hit Innisfail a few years back.

http://www.google.com.au/images?hl=en&c ... 80&bih=609

talk soon.