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Tropical cyclone Izilda struck Madagascar at about 06:00 GMT on 26 March. Data supplied by the US Navy and Air Force Joint Typhoon Warning Center suggest that the point of landfall was near 23.7 S, 43.3 E. Izilda brought 1-minute maximum sustained winds to the region of around 120 km/h (74 mph). Wind gusts in the area may have been considerably higher. Read the rest of this entry »

The second tropical cyclone to develop off the state’s north coast this month poses no immediate threat to Queensland, according to the Bureau of Meteorology

“It is almost out of Brisbane’s area of responsibility. It’s certainly no immediate to Queensland,” forecaster Terry Erbs said. Read the rest of this entry »

North Queensland is almost certain to be back on cyclone alert this weekend as a tropical low about 700km north-east of Mackay deepens.

The low is developing very slowly and barely moving. Read the rest of this entry »

Ex-tropical cyclone Hamish remains off the central Queensland coast after a week of lashing the seaboard.

Its effects have been devastating leading to a massive oil spill, which Premier Anna Bligh describes as possibly the worst environmental disaster the state has witnessed, plus the disappearance of two fishermen lost at sea. Read the rest of this entry »

Tropical Cyclone Hamish is continuing to generate powerful ocean swells and fierce winds along the southern Queensland coast.

The category 3 storm is about 275 kilometres east of Sandy Cape, near Hervey Bay.

It maintained its intensity overnight but is expected to weaken and move away from the coast today. Read the rest of this entry »

BRISBANE — Tropical cyclone Hamish is continuing to weaken off the central Queensland coast, but damaging winds associated with the storm cell have hampered the rescue effort for three trawlermen missing in waters off Rockhampton.

Bureau of Meteorology Cyclone Warning Centre forecaster Andrea Peace said Hamish could be downgraded from a category four cyclone to a category three this morning, as fierce winds continue to tear apart the super cell. Read the rest of this entry »

QUEENSLAND — While it is still far too early to become complacent, Queenslanders are breathing a sigh of relief this morning as Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish now looks like remaining offshore for now, according to weatherzone.com.au. 

At 7am EST, Hamish was situated approximately 215 kilometres northeast of Yeppoon and was moving southeast at 12 kilometres per hour. It is now expected to maintain this southeast track over the next couple of days. 

The storm is still a very dangerous Category 4 cyclone, meaning that wind gusts near its centre are as high as 250 kilometres per hour. However, it is likely to gradually weaken over the next couple of days as it tracks parallel to the coast. Read the rest of this entry »

LATEST: CYCLONE Hamish evacuations on the mainland have been put on hold amid predictions the weakening cyclone may not even cross the coast.

Bureau of Meterology state director Jim Davidson said there was now only a 5 per cent chance Cyclone Hamish would cross the coast.

He said it was expected that Hamish would be downgraded to a category three or even two by tomorrow morning, but they wouldn’t know for sure until Wednesday. Read the rest of this entry »

Evacuations continued Sunday along Australia’s Queensland coast as a Category 5 cyclone moved closer to the mainland.

Residents were preparing for Cyclone Hamish, possibly the worst storm in almost 30 years, to make landfall Tuesday between Bundaberg and Hervey Bay.

Winds of up to 280 km/h were recorded as the cyclone approached islands in north Queensland on Sunday. Read the rest of this entry »

SYDNEY — Apache Energy Corp. Friday said that it has ceased production at its Stag and Legendre oil and condensate operations in offshore Western Australia because of bad weather conditions.

All non-essential staff are being evacuated from the Varanus Island gas processing plant, but production is continuing as normal, Apache said.

Staff are in the process of being evacuated from Stag and Legendre.

“A cyclone hasn’t been called, it’s a tropical low, but it’s a matter of standard operating procedure,” a spokesman for Apache said.

Spokesmen for BHP Billiton Ltd. and Woodside Petroleum Ltd. both said the companies hadn’t evacuated any staff but were monitoring the situation.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said the low pressure system may develop into a tropical cyclone Saturday as it moves to the southwest towards the Pilbara coast.  

www.rigzone.com