Be safe Sean
Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2014 3:03 am
Trees will start to topple, roofs will be sucked up and solar panels might start flying like Frisbees as severe tropical Cyclone Ita makes landfall in far north Queensland this evening, wind experts say.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts wind speeds for the Category 5 storm to approach 300km/h as it approaches the coast near Cape Flattery, north of Cooktown.
“If we do get 300km/h that is slightly stronger than Cyclone Yasi,” which ripped through north Queensland near Innisfail in 2011, said Grahame Reader, the severe weather manager at the bureau. “Physically, (Ita's) a relatively small storm but it's intense.”
Wind speed measurements are largely drawn from satellite imagery of clouds and radars, with only a few land-based devices, known as anemometers, on hand. (Click here for an amazing global winds graphic.)
James Cook University, though, is testing mobile anemometers mounted on anchored trailers for the first time to get more accurate readings, said John Ginger, research director of the university's Cyclone Testing Station. Estimates now are largely gained after the event when bent-over street signs are examined closely for clues.
Dr Ginger said branches and other debris typically start to break off when wind speeds reach about 100km/h, and shallow-rooted trees begin to topple when sustained gusts reach about 160km/h.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weath ... z2yXjVvoTR
