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politicsClimate Change in Australia's cyclone uptick?
Catastrophic Weather Events Are Becoming the New Normal -- Are You Ready for Life on Our Planet Circa 2011?
Welcome to our planet, circa 2011--a planet that, like some unruly adolescent, has decided to test the boundaries. For two centuries now we've been burning coal and oil and gas and thus pouring carbon into the atmosphere; for two decades now we've been ignoring the increasingly impassioned pleas of scientists that this is a Bad Idea. And now we're getting pinched.
Oh, there have been snowstorms before, and cyclones--our planet has always produced extreme events. But by definition extreme events are supposed to be rare, and all of a sudden they're not. In 2010 nineteen nations set new all-time temperature records (itself a record!) and when the mercury hit 128 in early June along the Indus, the entire continent of Asia set a new all-time temperature mark. Russia caught on fire; Pakistan drowned. Munich Re, the biggest insurance company on earth, summed up the annus horribilis last month with this clinical phrase: "the high number of weather-related natural catastrophes and record temperatures both globally and in different regions of the world provide further indications of advancing climate change."
You don't need a PhD to understand what's happening. That carbon we've poured into the air traps more of the sun's heat near the planet. And that extra energy expresses itself in a thousand ways, from melting ice to powering storms. Since warm air can hold more water vapor than cold, it's not surprising that the atmosphere is 4% moister than it was 40 years ago. That "4% extra amount, it invigorates the storms, it provides plenty of moisture for these storms," said Kevin Trenberth, head of the climate analysis section at the government's National Center for Atmospheric Research. It loads the dice for record rain and snow. Yesterday the Midwest and Queensland crapped out.
The point I'm trying to make is: chemistry and physics work. We don't just live in a suburb, or in a free-market democracy; we live on an earth that has certain rules. Physics and chemistry don't care what John Boehner thinks, they're unmoved by what will make Barack Obama's re-election easier. More carbon means more heat means more trouble--and the trouble has barely begun. So far we've raised the temperature of the planet about a degree, which has been enough to melt the Arctic. The consensus prediction for the century is that without dramatic action to stem the use of fossil fuel--far more quickly than is politically or economically convenient--we'll see temperatures climb five degrees this century. Given that one degree melts the Arctic, just how lucky are we feeling?MORE
Or Long Term cycle?
Queensland's Cycles of Havoc
Question and Answer: Cyclone Yasi
Where did cyclone Yasi form?
It formed well north of Fiji on Sunday night and in to Monday. Because it was formed in Fiji it was named by the Fiji Meteorological Service. It was a category one by Sunday morning, now it is a category five.
What speed has Yasi been travelling at?
With some cyclones the speed changes, but with Yasi it has been travelling at a steady speed of 30 to 34 km/h for at least the past two days. That is a reasonably fast pace.
How big is the eye of cyclone Yasi?
About 100 kilometres in diameter.MORE
Mayhem writ large: Yasi Photos
Crop Loss Estimated in the Billions sugar and banana plantations hit Video
From an eerie whisper to a scream in minutes Video also @ the link
Cyclone Yasi: Queensland takes stock of damage
Catastrophic Weather Events Are Becoming the New Normal -- Are You Ready for Life on Our Planet Circa 2011?
Welcome to our planet, circa 2011--a planet that, like some unruly adolescent, has decided to test the boundaries. For two centuries now we've been burning coal and oil and gas and thus pouring carbon into the atmosphere; for two decades now we've been ignoring the increasingly impassioned pleas of scientists that this is a Bad Idea. And now we're getting pinched.
Oh, there have been snowstorms before, and cyclones--our planet has always produced extreme events. But by definition extreme events are supposed to be rare, and all of a sudden they're not. In 2010 nineteen nations set new all-time temperature records (itself a record!) and when the mercury hit 128 in early June along the Indus, the entire continent of Asia set a new all-time temperature mark. Russia caught on fire; Pakistan drowned. Munich Re, the biggest insurance company on earth, summed up the annus horribilis last month with this clinical phrase: "the high number of weather-related natural catastrophes and record temperatures both globally and in different regions of the world provide further indications of advancing climate change."
You don't need a PhD to understand what's happening. That carbon we've poured into the air traps more of the sun's heat near the planet. And that extra energy expresses itself in a thousand ways, from melting ice to powering storms. Since warm air can hold more water vapor than cold, it's not surprising that the atmosphere is 4% moister than it was 40 years ago. That "4% extra amount, it invigorates the storms, it provides plenty of moisture for these storms," said Kevin Trenberth, head of the climate analysis section at the government's National Center for Atmospheric Research. It loads the dice for record rain and snow. Yesterday the Midwest and Queensland crapped out.
The point I'm trying to make is: chemistry and physics work. We don't just live in a suburb, or in a free-market democracy; we live on an earth that has certain rules. Physics and chemistry don't care what John Boehner thinks, they're unmoved by what will make Barack Obama's re-election easier. More carbon means more heat means more trouble--and the trouble has barely begun. So far we've raised the temperature of the planet about a degree, which has been enough to melt the Arctic. The consensus prediction for the century is that without dramatic action to stem the use of fossil fuel--far more quickly than is politically or economically convenient--we'll see temperatures climb five degrees this century. Given that one degree melts the Arctic, just how lucky are we feeling?MORE
Or Long Term cycle?
Queensland's Cycles of Havoc
Given its width and intensity, Yasi could be worse than the twin cyclones of 1918, one of which put the central business district of Mackay under 5m of water.
But it would still not rival more extreme weather events, the evidence of which is still carved into the tropical landscape.
[Jonathan] Nott is an expert on the incidence of super cyclones. By analysing ridges of broken coral pushed ashore by storm surges, he has catalogued the incidence of super-cyclones over the past 5000 years.
In a paper published in the scientific journal, Nature in 2001 his research shows the frequency of super-cyclones is an order of magnitude higher than previously thought.
Nott's work puts into perspective current debate about whether climate change is responsible for the extreme weather events in Queensland.
Over recent centuries, massive cyclones have been relatively common. And after an extended period of relatively little activity their return is overdue regardless of rising global temperatures.
Despite claims to the contrary, climate scientists say it is not possible say with any confidence whether there is a climate change signal in a single extreme event or even an extreme season.
"It is difficult to make a strong case that we are seeing a change in tropical cyclones," Bureau of Meteorology climate specialist David Jones says.
"There is a strong physical basis for expecting cyclones to become stronger but it is challenging to see a particular trend in the data," Jones says.
Most of the cyclone data used by climate scientists only dates back to the 1980s.
Prior to 1960 it was only really possible to measure cyclones opportunistically if they happened to pass over a boat or weather station.
From the late 70s to 80s the quality of data improved dramatically with the availability of very good satellite images.
According to Jones, the historical data was not sufficient to make concrete predictions. There is a clear link, however, between recent floods and cyclonic activity and the El Nino and La Nina weather patterns governed by Pacific Ocean surface temperatures.
The return of a La Nina weather pattern is a sure signal that tropical cyclone activity will intensify.
According to a paper by BOM Queensland weather forecaster Jeff Callaghan, the frequency of severe land-falling tropical cyclones had declined to low levels in recent decades in line with the El Nino weather patterns. Callaghan's analysis shows that landfalls occurred almost twice as often in La Nina years as they did in El Nino years and that more than one cyclone only ever hit land during La Nina years.
Callaghan says it would be imprudent to suppose the low number of tropical cyclones crossing the coast in recent decades would continue and planning should reflect the possibility of a rapid return to higher landfall rates.
Callaghan's research confirms Nott's analysis that tropical Australia is overdue for a dramatic intensification of cyclonic activity, regardless of whether there is a climate change signal in what is happening now or not.
"It is really difficult to say we are seeing a climate change signal," Nott says.
"No one in the climate change area is willing to say it is possible to see an anthropogenic impact in single event or even a season of events.
"There is no clear signal as yet but that does not mean it isn't affecting us."MORE
Question and Answer: Cyclone Yasi
Where did cyclone Yasi form?
It formed well north of Fiji on Sunday night and in to Monday. Because it was formed in Fiji it was named by the Fiji Meteorological Service. It was a category one by Sunday morning, now it is a category five.
What speed has Yasi been travelling at?
With some cyclones the speed changes, but with Yasi it has been travelling at a steady speed of 30 to 34 km/h for at least the past two days. That is a reasonably fast pace.
How big is the eye of cyclone Yasi?
About 100 kilometres in diameter.MORE
Mayhem writ large: Yasi Photos
Crop Loss Estimated in the Billions sugar and banana plantations hit Video
From an eerie whisper to a scream in minutes Video also @ the link
Cyclone Yasi: Queensland takes stock of damage
A trail of destruction was emerging across the far north of Queensland this morning after the biggest cyclone in living memory crossed the coast at midnight local time.
Cyclone Yasi, a category 5 system, passed directly over Mission Beach, a small coastal community of about 1,000, 90miles (160km) south of Cairns.
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<b>Climate Change in Australia's cyclone uptick?</b>
<A href="http://www.alternet.org/environment/149774/catastrophic_weather_events_are_becoming_the_new_normal_--_are_you_ready_for_life_on_our_planet_circa_2011">Catastrophic Weather Events Are Becoming the New Normal -- Are You Ready for Life on Our Planet Circa 2011?</A>
Welcome to our planet, circa 2011--a planet that, like some unruly adolescent, has decided to test the boundaries. For two centuries now we've been burning coal and oil and gas and thus pouring carbon into the atmosphere; for two decades now we've been ignoring the increasingly impassioned pleas of scientists that this is a Bad Idea. And now we're getting pinched.
Oh, there have been snowstorms before, and cyclones--our planet has always produced extreme events. But by definition extreme events are supposed to be rare, and all of a sudden they're not. <b>In 2010 nineteen nations set new all-time temperature records (itself a record!)</b> and when the mercury hit 128 in early June along the Indus, the entire continent of Asia set a new all-time temperature mark. Russia caught on fire; Pakistan drowned.<b> Munich Re, the biggest insurance company on earth</b>, summed up the annus horribilis last month with this clinical phrase: "<b>the high number of weather-related natural catastrophes and record temperatures both globally and in different regions of the world provide further indications of advancing climate change."</b>
<cut>You don't need a PhD to understand what's happening. That carbon we've poured into the air traps more of the sun's heat near the planet. And that extra energy expresses itself in a thousand ways, from melting ice to powering storms. Since warm air can hold more water vapor than cold, it's not surprising that the atmosphere is 4% moister than it was 40 years ago. That "4% extra amount, it invigorates the storms, it provides plenty of moisture for these storms," said Kevin Trenberth, head of the climate analysis section at the government's National Center for Atmospheric Research. It loads the dice for record rain and snow. Yesterday the Midwest and Queensland crapped out.
<b>The point I'm trying to make is: chemistry and physics work.</b> We don't just live in a suburb, or in a free-market democracy; <b>we live on an earth that has certain rules</b>. Physics and chemistry don't care what John Boehner thinks, they're unmoved by what will make Barack Obama's re-election easier. More carbon means more heat means more trouble--and the trouble has barely begun. <b>So far we've raised the temperature of the planet about a degree, which has been enough to melt the Arctic. The consensus prediction for the century is that without dramatic action to stem the use of fossil fuel--far more quickly than is politically or economically convenient--we'll see temperatures climb five degrees this century. Given that one degree melts the Arctic, just how lucky are we feeling?</b><A href="http://www.alternet.org/environment/149774/catastrophic_weather_events_are_becoming_the_new_normal_--_are_you_ready_for_life_on_our_planet_circa_2011">MORE</A></blockquote>
<b>Or Long Term cycle?</b>
<A href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/queenslands-cycles-of-havoc/story-e6frg6z6-1225998344719">Queensland's Cycles of Havoc</A>
<blockquote>Given its width and intensity, Yasi could be worse than the twin cyclones of 1918, one of which put the central business district of Mackay under 5m of water.
But it would still not rival more extreme weather events, the evidence of which is still carved into the tropical landscape.
[Jonathan] Nott is an expert on the incidence of super cyclones. By analysing ridges of broken coral pushed ashore by storm surges, he has catalogued the incidence of super-cyclones over the past 5000 years.
In a paper published in the scientific journal, Nature in 2001 his research shows the frequency of super-cyclones is an order of magnitude higher than previously thought.
Nott's work puts into perspective current debate about whether climate change is responsible for the extreme weather events in Queensland.
Over recent centuries, massive cyclones have been relatively common. And after an extended period of relatively little activity their return is overdue regardless of rising global temperatures.
Despite claims to the contrary, climate scientists say it is not possible say with any confidence whether there is a climate change signal in a single extreme event or even an extreme season.
<b>"It is difficult to make a strong case that we are seeing a change in tropical cyclones," Bureau of Meteorology climate specialist David Jones says.</b>
"There is a strong physical basis for expecting cyclones to become stronger but it is challenging to see a particular trend in the data," Jones says.
<b>Most of the cyclone data used by climate scientists only dates back to the 1980s.
Prior to 1960 it was only really possible to measure cyclones opportunistically if they happened to pass over a boat or weather station.
From the late 70s to 80s the quality of data improved dramatically with the availability of very good satellite images.</b>
According to Jones, the historical data was not sufficient to make concrete predictions. There is a clear link, however, between recent floods and cyclonic activity and the El Nino and La Nina weather patterns governed by Pacific Ocean surface temperatures.
The return of a La Nina weather pattern is a sure signal that tropical cyclone activity will intensify.
According to a paper by BOM Queensland weather forecaster Jeff Callaghan, the frequency of severe land-falling tropical cyclones had declined to low levels in recent decades in line with the El Nino weather patterns. Callaghan's analysis shows that landfalls occurred almost twice as often in La Nina years as they did in El Nino years and that more than one cyclone only ever hit land during La Nina years.
Callaghan says it would be imprudent to suppose the low number of tropical cyclones crossing the coast in recent decades would continue and planning should reflect the possibility of a rapid return to higher landfall rates.
Callaghan's research confirms Nott's analysis that tropical Australia is overdue for a dramatic intensification of cyclonic activity, regardless of whether there is a climate change signal in what is happening now or not.
"It is really difficult to say we are seeing a climate change signal," Nott says.
"No one in the climate change area is willing to say it is possible to see an anthropogenic impact in single event or even a season of events.
"There is no clear signal as yet but that does not mean it isn't affecting us."<A href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/queenslands-cycles-of-havoc/story-e6frg6z6-1225998344719">MORE</A></blockquote>
<a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/q--a--cyclone-yasi-20110202-1adw4.html">Question and Answer: Cyclone Yasi</A>
<b>Where did cyclone Yasi form?</b>
It formed well north of Fiji on Sunday night and in to Monday. Because it was formed in Fiji it was named by the Fiji Meteorological Service. It was a category one by Sunday morning, now it is a category five.
<b>What speed has Yasi been travelling at?</b>
With some cyclones the speed changes, but with Yasi it has been travelling at a steady speed of 30 to 34 km/h for at least the past two days. That is a reasonably fast pace.
<b>How big is the eye of cyclone Yasi?</b>
About 100 kilometres in diameter.<a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/q--a--cyclone-yasi-20110202-1adw4.html">MORE</a></blockquote>
<A href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/cyclone-yasi-pictures/">Mayhem writ large: Yasi Photos</A>
<a href="http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/selections/crop-loss-estimates-in-the-billions-2164975.html">Crop Loss Estimated in the Billions sugar and banana plantations hit</A> Video
<A href="http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/from-an-eerie-whisper-to-a-scream-in-minutes-20110202-1advk.html">From an eerie whisper to a scream in minutes</A> Video also @ the link
<A href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/03/cyclone-yasi-queensland-damage">Cyclone Yasi: Queensland takes stock of damage</A>
<blockquote>A trail of destruction was emerging across the far north of Queensland this morning after the biggest cyclone in living memory crossed the coast at midnight local time.
Cyclone Yasi, a category 5 system, passed directly over Mission Beach, a small coastal community of about 1,000, 90miles (160km) south of Cairns.<a href="<A href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/03/cyclone-yasi-queensland-damage">MORE</A></blockquote>
<A href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/gillard-will-slash-budget-to-cover-cost-20110202-1advs.html">Gillard will slash budget to cover cost</a>
<blockquote>THE federal government is prepared to make more cuts to the budget to cover damage to infrastructure caused by cyclone Yasi but it will not increase the flood levy to raise extra funds.
The government was also bracing itself for a fresh hit to the economy and revenue with industry groups warning of more the $1 billion in damage to tourism, agriculture and industry in far north Queensland. The cyclone's impact comes on top of the recent devastating floods.<A href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/gillard-will-slash-budget-to-cover-cost-20110202-1advs.html">MORE</a></blockquote> Video and pictures are also @ link
<A href="http://www.smh.com.au/queensland/like-napalm-yasis-fury-10-times-worse-than-larry-20110203-1aeh0.html">'Like napalm': Yasi's fury '10 times worse than Larry'</A>
<blockquote>Reports of vast structural damage to housing as dawn breaks in Tully, where residents bore the brunt of Cyclone Yasi.
Yesterday morning Craig Murray and Daryl Brown had a picturesque two-acre property on a hill overlooking South Mission Beach and Dunk Island, complete with its own rainforest.
When Cyclone Yasi tore through the area early this morning, that all changed.
"It's like a napalm bomb (sic) has gone off," Mr Murray said.
<A href="http://www.smh.com.au/queensland/like-napalm-yasis-fury-10-times-worse-than-larry-20110203-1aeh0.html">MORE</A></blockquote> Video also @ link
Either way I'm guessing Australians would quite like this whole thing to stop now, thanks. But if we must have cyclones, property damage is much more preferable to deaths and injuries.</cut>
<A href="http://www.alternet.org/environment/149774/catastrophic_weather_events_are_becoming_the_new_normal_--_are_you_ready_for_life_on_our_planet_circa_2011">Catastrophic Weather Events Are Becoming the New Normal -- Are You Ready for Life on Our Planet Circa 2011?</A>
Welcome to our planet, circa 2011--a planet that, like some unruly adolescent, has decided to test the boundaries. For two centuries now we've been burning coal and oil and gas and thus pouring carbon into the atmosphere; for two decades now we've been ignoring the increasingly impassioned pleas of scientists that this is a Bad Idea. And now we're getting pinched.
Oh, there have been snowstorms before, and cyclones--our planet has always produced extreme events. But by definition extreme events are supposed to be rare, and all of a sudden they're not. <b>In 2010 nineteen nations set new all-time temperature records (itself a record!)</b> and when the mercury hit 128 in early June along the Indus, the entire continent of Asia set a new all-time temperature mark. Russia caught on fire; Pakistan drowned.<b> Munich Re, the biggest insurance company on earth</b>, summed up the annus horribilis last month with this clinical phrase: "<b>the high number of weather-related natural catastrophes and record temperatures both globally and in different regions of the world provide further indications of advancing climate change."</b>
<cut>You don't need a PhD to understand what's happening. That carbon we've poured into the air traps more of the sun's heat near the planet. And that extra energy expresses itself in a thousand ways, from melting ice to powering storms. Since warm air can hold more water vapor than cold, it's not surprising that the atmosphere is 4% moister than it was 40 years ago. That "4% extra amount, it invigorates the storms, it provides plenty of moisture for these storms," said Kevin Trenberth, head of the climate analysis section at the government's National Center for Atmospheric Research. It loads the dice for record rain and snow. Yesterday the Midwest and Queensland crapped out.
<b>The point I'm trying to make is: chemistry and physics work.</b> We don't just live in a suburb, or in a free-market democracy; <b>we live on an earth that has certain rules</b>. Physics and chemistry don't care what John Boehner thinks, they're unmoved by what will make Barack Obama's re-election easier. More carbon means more heat means more trouble--and the trouble has barely begun. <b>So far we've raised the temperature of the planet about a degree, which has been enough to melt the Arctic. The consensus prediction for the century is that without dramatic action to stem the use of fossil fuel--far more quickly than is politically or economically convenient--we'll see temperatures climb five degrees this century. Given that one degree melts the Arctic, just how lucky are we feeling?</b><A href="http://www.alternet.org/environment/149774/catastrophic_weather_events_are_becoming_the_new_normal_--_are_you_ready_for_life_on_our_planet_circa_2011">MORE</A></blockquote>
<b>Or Long Term cycle?</b>
<A href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/queenslands-cycles-of-havoc/story-e6frg6z6-1225998344719">Queensland's Cycles of Havoc</A>
<blockquote>Given its width and intensity, Yasi could be worse than the twin cyclones of 1918, one of which put the central business district of Mackay under 5m of water.
But it would still not rival more extreme weather events, the evidence of which is still carved into the tropical landscape.
[Jonathan] Nott is an expert on the incidence of super cyclones. By analysing ridges of broken coral pushed ashore by storm surges, he has catalogued the incidence of super-cyclones over the past 5000 years.
In a paper published in the scientific journal, Nature in 2001 his research shows the frequency of super-cyclones is an order of magnitude higher than previously thought.
Nott's work puts into perspective current debate about whether climate change is responsible for the extreme weather events in Queensland.
Over recent centuries, massive cyclones have been relatively common. And after an extended period of relatively little activity their return is overdue regardless of rising global temperatures.
Despite claims to the contrary, climate scientists say it is not possible say with any confidence whether there is a climate change signal in a single extreme event or even an extreme season.
<b>"It is difficult to make a strong case that we are seeing a change in tropical cyclones," Bureau of Meteorology climate specialist David Jones says.</b>
"There is a strong physical basis for expecting cyclones to become stronger but it is challenging to see a particular trend in the data," Jones says.
<b>Most of the cyclone data used by climate scientists only dates back to the 1980s.
Prior to 1960 it was only really possible to measure cyclones opportunistically if they happened to pass over a boat or weather station.
From the late 70s to 80s the quality of data improved dramatically with the availability of very good satellite images.</b>
According to Jones, the historical data was not sufficient to make concrete predictions. There is a clear link, however, between recent floods and cyclonic activity and the El Nino and La Nina weather patterns governed by Pacific Ocean surface temperatures.
The return of a La Nina weather pattern is a sure signal that tropical cyclone activity will intensify.
According to a paper by BOM Queensland weather forecaster Jeff Callaghan, the frequency of severe land-falling tropical cyclones had declined to low levels in recent decades in line with the El Nino weather patterns. Callaghan's analysis shows that landfalls occurred almost twice as often in La Nina years as they did in El Nino years and that more than one cyclone only ever hit land during La Nina years.
Callaghan says it would be imprudent to suppose the low number of tropical cyclones crossing the coast in recent decades would continue and planning should reflect the possibility of a rapid return to higher landfall rates.
Callaghan's research confirms Nott's analysis that tropical Australia is overdue for a dramatic intensification of cyclonic activity, regardless of whether there is a climate change signal in what is happening now or not.
"It is really difficult to say we are seeing a climate change signal," Nott says.
"No one in the climate change area is willing to say it is possible to see an anthropogenic impact in single event or even a season of events.
"There is no clear signal as yet but that does not mean it isn't affecting us."<A href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/queenslands-cycles-of-havoc/story-e6frg6z6-1225998344719">MORE</A></blockquote>
<a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/q--a--cyclone-yasi-20110202-1adw4.html">Question and Answer: Cyclone Yasi</A>
<b>Where did cyclone Yasi form?</b>
It formed well north of Fiji on Sunday night and in to Monday. Because it was formed in Fiji it was named by the Fiji Meteorological Service. It was a category one by Sunday morning, now it is a category five.
<b>What speed has Yasi been travelling at?</b>
With some cyclones the speed changes, but with Yasi it has been travelling at a steady speed of 30 to 34 km/h for at least the past two days. That is a reasonably fast pace.
<b>How big is the eye of cyclone Yasi?</b>
About 100 kilometres in diameter.<a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/q--a--cyclone-yasi-20110202-1adw4.html">MORE</a></blockquote>
<A href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/cyclone-yasi-pictures/">Mayhem writ large: Yasi Photos</A>
<a href="http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/selections/crop-loss-estimates-in-the-billions-2164975.html">Crop Loss Estimated in the Billions sugar and banana plantations hit</A> Video
<A href="http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/from-an-eerie-whisper-to-a-scream-in-minutes-20110202-1advk.html">From an eerie whisper to a scream in minutes</A> Video also @ the link
<A href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/03/cyclone-yasi-queensland-damage">Cyclone Yasi: Queensland takes stock of damage</A>
<blockquote>A trail of destruction was emerging across the far north of Queensland this morning after the biggest cyclone in living memory crossed the coast at midnight local time.
Cyclone Yasi, a category 5 system, passed directly over Mission Beach, a small coastal community of about 1,000, 90miles (160km) south of Cairns.<a href="<A href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/03/cyclone-yasi-queensland-damage">MORE</A></blockquote>
<A href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/gillard-will-slash-budget-to-cover-cost-20110202-1advs.html">Gillard will slash budget to cover cost</a>
<blockquote>THE federal government is prepared to make more cuts to the budget to cover damage to infrastructure caused by cyclone Yasi but it will not increase the flood levy to raise extra funds.
The government was also bracing itself for a fresh hit to the economy and revenue with industry groups warning of more the $1 billion in damage to tourism, agriculture and industry in far north Queensland. The cyclone's impact comes on top of the recent devastating floods.<A href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/gillard-will-slash-budget-to-cover-cost-20110202-1advs.html">MORE</a></blockquote> Video and pictures are also @ link
<A href="http://www.smh.com.au/queensland/like-napalm-yasis-fury-10-times-worse-than-larry-20110203-1aeh0.html">'Like napalm': Yasi's fury '10 times worse than Larry'</A>
<blockquote>Reports of vast structural damage to housing as dawn breaks in Tully, where residents bore the brunt of Cyclone Yasi.
Yesterday morning Craig Murray and Daryl Brown had a picturesque two-acre property on a hill overlooking South Mission Beach and Dunk Island, complete with its own rainforest.
When Cyclone Yasi tore through the area early this morning, that all changed.
"It's like a napalm bomb (sic) has gone off," Mr Murray said.
<A href="http://www.smh.com.au/queensland/like-napalm-yasis-fury-10-times-worse-than-larry-20110203-1aeh0.html">MORE</A></blockquote> Video also @ link
Either way I'm guessing Australians would quite like this whole thing to stop now, thanks. But if we must have cyclones, property damage is much more preferable to deaths and injuries.</cut>
