Cyclone Ita - Class 5 hitting Queensland Australia

[jai mitchell]

http://earth.nullschool.net/#2014/04/11/0300Z/wind/isobaric/1000hPa/orthographic=147.23,-16.59,1306

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/04/10/tropical_cyclone_ita_strongest_storm_of_2014_headed_for_australia_landfall.html

Over the last several hours, Severe Tropical Cyclone Ita has rapidly intensified to a Category 5 beast of a storm. Official estimates from Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology have the storm slightly stronger than Cyclone Ian, which hit Tonga earlier this year and was previously the strongest storm of 2014.

Now, it’s still early in the year, sure. But only a handful of tropical cyclones ever reach this strength, fewer still in the Coral Sea off Australia’s tropical north coast.

Ita could also prove to be one of the worst in Australia’s history, bringing storm surge, heavy rain, and strong winds to a large swath of the Queensland coastline. Flooding from both rain and rising seas are especially a concern with Ita, because it’s relatively slow-moving and will arrive near the time of local high tide. Ita is one of the latest-forming Category 5 storms in Australian history, whose tropical cyclone season runs from November to April.

According to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, it’s only the second time since 1918 a storm of this magnitude has struck Queensland. The other time was three years ago, when Tropical Cyclone Yasi struck just south of Ita’s anticipated landfall. Yasi was Australia’s costliest tropical cyclone in its history, causing an estimated $3.6 billion in damage.

[Jim Hunt]

My own initial report, including the view from on high from Aqua:

http://econnexus.org/severe-tropical-cyclone-ita-heads-for-australia/

Ita is back down to category 4 before landfall

[Jim Hunt]

According to the UK Met Office

A cyclone is making landfall over Queensland, Australia with winds of up to 145 mph expected, together with heavy rain and a storm surge which is likely to cause disruption for coastal communities.

Forecasts have been successfully predicting the track of Cyclone Ita for several days which has allowed time for preparations – including evacuations from the areas directly in its path. Landfall is expected near Cape Flattery, about 130 miles north of Cairns.

Whilst Ita is making landfall over a relatively unpopulated part of Queensland and some weakening is expected, it is likely that the cyclone will turn south and move parallel to the coast before moving back over the ocean. Thus population centres further south such as Cairns, Innisfail and Townsville may see some impacts from the cyclone.

Ita is the strongest cyclone to make landfall over Queensland since Cyclone Yasi in February 2011. Yasi caused extensive flooding and wind damage in the region just south of Cairns.

[Jim Hunt]

Ita is expected to continue to move in a general south-southwest direction and make landfall near Cape Flattery in the next couple of hours:

http://econnexus.org/severe-tropical-cyclone-ita-heads-for-australia/#comment-185734

[Jim Hunt]

SEVERE TROPICAL CYCLONE ITA, CATEGORY 4, is crossing the coast near Cape Flattery:

http://econnexus.org/severe-tropical-cyclone-ita-heads-for-australia/#comment-185760

[Jim Hunt]

Damage but no deaths reported in Queensland. Unfortunately the same is not true in the Solomon Islands:

http://econnexus.org/the-aftermath-of-cyclone-ita/

[pikaia]

There has also been a magnitude 7.6 earthquake in the Solomons!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-27006985