A major cyclone (hurricane) is expected to hit northern Queensland in about 10 hours from now.

This is a category 5 storm - more powerful than hurricane Katrina in the US and also larger than the most devastating storm in Australia's history, cyclone Tracy.

In 1974 Tracy killed 71 people and destroyed the majority of buildings in Darwin. A mass exodus after the cyclone saw the population decrease from 48,000 to 10,500.

The central eye of cyclone Yasi is about to be 100 kilometres wide. It is likely to be able to penetrate up to 500 km inland before dissipating. Winds speeds have already been recorded at 295 km/hr. The cyclone coincides with a high tide and is expected to create waves up to 12 metres high along the coast, followed by a storm surge raising the height of the water by 6-7 metres above the normal high-tide level.

The aftereffects of Yasi are likely to be felt even in southern Australia, as it will likely lead to further flooding.

More coverage:

For general, up-to-the-minute coverage, see here:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/cyclone-yasi

For a video about this cyclone itself, see here:

http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/selections/cyclone-yasi-will-push-far-inland-2162931.html

Be patient - there are maps and radar images in the video.

If you're American, bear in mind when you look at the maps that Australia is about the same size as the continental United States. The distance from east to west is about the same for both. That may give you a better idea of just how big this thing is.

-------

To anybody who lives in Queensland, my thoughts are with you. Good luck, and please keep us updated if you can.

Details from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, showing expected track of the cyclone.

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ65002.shtml

http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDQ65001.gif?1296609428823

Note: numbers on the map indicate the serverity rating of the cyclone, expected to be category 5 at landfall.

Official information:


THIS IMPACT IS LIKELY TO BE MORE LIFE THREATENING THAN ANY EXPERIENCED DURING RECENT GENERATIONS.

Coastal residents within the warning area, and particularly between Cairns and Ayr are specifically warned of an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SEA LEVEL RISE [i.e. storm tide] as the cyclone approaches, crosses the coast and moves inland. The sea is likely to steadily rise up to a level which will be VERY DANGEROUSLY above the normal tide, with EXTREMELY DAMAGING WAVES, STRONG CURRENTS and FLOODING of low-lying areas extending some way inland. People living in areas likely to be affected by this flooding should take measures to protect their property as much as possible, and be prepared to follow instructions regarding evacuation of the area if advised to do so by authorities.

DAMAGING WINDS with gusts to 90 km/hr that are currently developing on coastal islands, are forecast to develop about the coast by late morning and about the tropical interior overnight.

Between Cape Tribulation and Ingham these winds will become DESTRUCTIVE with gusts in excess of 125km/hr during the afternoon and early evening and VERY DESTRUCTIVE with gusts up to 300 km/hr between Cairns and Ingham during the evening as the cyclone approaches and crosses the coast. These VERY DESTRUCTIVE winds can also occur on the seaward side of hills to the north of the cyclone and are also forecast to reach the Atherton Tablelands.

FLOODING RAINS will develop from Cooktown to Sarina during the afternoon and then extend inland overnight.

http://images.brisbanetimes.com.au/file/2011/02/02/2162772/cyclone.gif

If you're on Twitter, #TCYasi is the 6th highest-trending topic worldwide, currently. A recent "good luck" message from Stephen Fry to Queenslanders hit number 1. Searches for "Yasi" on google are also trending way up.

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/243369/thumbs/r-AUSTRALIA-CYCLONE-large570.jpg

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/243518/AUSTRALIA-CYCLONE-YASI.jpg

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hurricanes/archives/2011/h2011_Yasi.html) has a running record of its satellite information releases about Yasi. Not that it's much help for the people in the way, but it's there.

Unfortunately, I have a Pink Gimour song stuck in my head right now. Normally, it's a pleasant little song, but right now it's scary.

Windows will explode, roofs will lift and homes on stumps may simply fall over and crumble when category five Cyclone Yasi crosses the coast, experts say (http://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/homes-to-tumble-like-house-of-cards-20110202-1ad92.html).

...

Professor Peter Skinner, Queensland president of the Australian Institute of Architects, said house roofs would be wrenched off by uplift forces similar to the wind that runs over the wing of an aircraft.

....

"Imploding is not really something to worry about ... it's more likely homes will fall over like a house of cards.

"It's a bit like a large cardboard box with a lot of movement in the walls. Windows will blow in. You'd want to be in the smallest room in the house like a bathroom."

Prof Skinner said flying debris - including roofs - was likely to cause the most widespread destruction.

He said North Queensland homes built after 1975 were constructed to withstand winds of up to 250km/h but there was no telling how they would cope with winds predicted to be in excess of 300km/h.

....

Many Queenslander-type homes were at risk of blowing off their stumps unless their floors were tied down...

Has anybody started a disaster relief fund yet?

Good GODS that's an awful tight-looking storm...Yeah, it's the flying stuff that really tears things to pieces.

http://images.brisbanetimes.com.au/file/2011/02/02/2163709/yasiworld_420.jpg

A sense of scale. How Yasi would look if it was over the United States.

http://images.brisbanetimes.com.au/file/2011/02/02/2163709/yasiworld_420.jpg

A sense of scale. How Yasi would look if it was over the United States.

that wouldn't be good.


and the huge. bout the only saving grace for queensland is there really aren't and large inland bodies of lakes that it could recharcge from but that sucker is going to go deep in country

Did Australia do something to piss God off?

Did Australia do something to piss God off?

I think that Spud did something wrong to his wife! ;)

I have friends in cains

There was a Queenslander on the BBC earlier.
His comment:
"Queensland is having a bad Month"

Australia generally is having a bad month. There was major flooding in Vic too and now there are bushfires there

I can't find any real time feeds for this cyclone.

Silly.

I thought they would cover that, but apparently they won't.

Okay..

It has made landfall, near Mission Beach, which is a very small beach side tourist town south of Cairns. This will be devastating for this community and the towns and regional centres around it.

We have friends in Cairns, some of whom are shelting in our family hideaway in an area South of Cairns, with their own families, as it was supposed to be outside of the tidal surge area since they were forced to evacuate their properties during the night last night. The house is strong, with the downstairs area with bring and rendered inner walls and a concrete slab for the floor above. We lost contact with them about 2+ hours ago and we, like the rest of the State have been glued to the TV and to the Meteorology site hoping against all hope that it would weaken before landfall.

Unfortunately that was not the case. We fear for our friends and our neighbours there, many of whom are elderly. While their homes are also strong, I don't know of how strong a house has to be to withstand this.

When I saw where it was finally going to hit, I felt this sense of dread. I am concerned that the house could collapse on our friends and I am terrified for those who live in that area. None of us will be getting any sleep tonight and I am unable to reach anyone I know in that area. Waves off Townsville to the South of this monster were recorded as being at 9.5m.. And in Cardwell a storm surge of over 6.5m is being recorded above the high tide mark.

This is an area that was devastated by another cyclone a few years ago and was just getting back on its feet and many in the affected areas were affected by the floods that hit the State recently.

God help any who did not evacuate in the low lying areas.

The eye is crossing and it will be worse on the tail end..

I can't find any real time feeds for this cyclone.

Silly.

I thought they would cover that, but apparently they won't.

Check the www.bom.gov.au site.

This is the current national radar feed for the whole country.

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/national_radar_sat.loop.shtml

Re Cardwell. 6.5 metre surge.
Anyone who did not previously evacuate will now probably be trying to leave in the storm.
God help them.

Radar feed, a bit more zoomed in on storm.

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR211.loop.shtml#skip

Bells I concidered posting the bom site but the last thing those people need is for it to go down the way DSE and the CFA did during black sat because of sticky beaks from other states and countries.

Must say the NGOs are really on the ball this time SA St john were already asking for nominations This go to Queensland which close today and leave tomorrow.. the last contingent only got back a week or so ago

How do they cope with hurricanes like this? Are the people evacuated?

Interesting info about power of major storms.

Why don't we try to destroy tropical cyclones by nuking them ?
Contributed by Chris Landsea


...............Now for a more rigorous scientific explanation of why this would not be an effective hurricane modification technique. The main difficulty with using explosives to modify hurricanes is the amount of energy required. A fully developed hurricane can release heat energy at a rate of 5 to 20x1013 watts and converts less than 10% of the heat into the mechanical energy of the wind. The heat release is equivalent to a 10-megaton nuclear bomb exploding every 20 minutes. According to the 1993 World Almanac, the entire human race used energy at a rate of 1013 watts in 1990, a rate less than 20% of the power of a hurricane.


http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/C5c.html

Bells I concidered posting the bom site but the last thing those people need is for it to go down the way DSE and the CFA did during black sat because of sticky beaks from other states and countries.

Must say the NGOs are really on the ball this time SA St john were already asking for nominations This go to Queensland which close today and leave tomorrow.. the last contingent only got back a week or so ago

There are many sites posting BOM and similar sites from NASA also showing satellite imagery of this cyclone.

From what is known, there are some who have not evacuated. How many, no one will know until emergency workers can actually get out and see. There have apparently been hundreds of calls requesting assistance, but the conditions are so terrible right now that no one can get to them. At least one individual, a man in his 60's apparently (http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/floodrelief/former-victorian-families-will-ride-out-cyclone-yasi-at-home-rather-than-risk-evacuation/story-fn7ik2te-1225999121632), had apparently refused the evacuation order and called the national emergency number tonight, stating that he and 6 other people were in a second story unit and needed to be evacuated from the storm surge. He was told that was no longer possible and it is believed emergency workers stayed with him on the phone and advised him how he and those with him could secure themselves as best they could against the surge. It was expected that the water would reach his floor. The problem is that some refuse to go. The army and police were door knocking all of last night and the day before to get people out, but some people refused to go or didn't think there was a need to. Whether any of them make it out alive is yet to be known.

Those who have stayed, well, it could be deadly.

More worryingly for us today were reports from our friends in Townsville who were busy finishing the final preparations around their homes (tying rope to the plumbing in the bathrooms, etc, just in case the roof tore off) and realising their neighbours were doing nothing at all to secure items outside of their properties, deeming it to be a bit of overkill. One of my friends was so upset that he and several other neighbours went and did as much as they could to get what they could undercover and tied down, because those things would be flying and hitting the homes around them. It is the people who have that kind of mentality, the whole 'meh, people over-reacting' kind of attitude who pose the biggest risk and danger because they do nothing to prepare.

A major cyclone (hurricane) is expected to hit northern Queensland in about 10 hours from now.

This is a category 5 storm - more powerful than hurricane Katrina in the US and also larger than the most devastating storm in Australia's history, cyclone Tracy.



Hard to tell if it is the largest but last cat 5 was 1918, in Australia.

Katrina wind speed at land fall was, from the info i got so far, larger and had higher wind speeds. Katrina was also tighter and more compressed.

Typhoon Tip was the largest ever- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon_Tip

Katrina had gusts up to 280 kph, Yasi has gusts up to 290 kph, I haven't found data yet on sustained wind speeds which is a better indication of the strength of the storm, but considering that we don't have that many readings from the center of the storm, I'd say they are essentially the same strength.

More damage is often done by the storm surge though, and that has as much to do with where it makes landfall, the height of the surrounding land, the tides when it hits etc, and this is where Katrina did so much damage because it hit a very populated area where much of the area was very near or already below sea level to start with.

Katrina had gusts up to 280 kph, Yasi has gusts up to 290 kph, I haven't found data yet on sustained wind speeds which is a better indication of the strength of the storm, but considering that we don't have that many readings from the center of the storm, I'd say they are essentially the same strength.

More damage is often done by the storm surge though, and that has as much to do with where it makes landfall, the height of the surrounding land, the tides when it hits etc, and this is where Katrina did so much damage because it hit a very populated area where much of the area was already below sea level to start with.

i am going from an Australian news site for speed at landfall and Katrina was around 20KPH higher plus tighter around the eye, this one is more open. That is so far anyway and the info can change.

Its true, the storm surge. Remember, the Levies didnt hold?

my thoughts and prayers are with the people in Queensland..

my thoughts and prayers are with the people in Queensland..

My curses are to God for causing this catastrophe.

*Good luck
*Good GODS
*piss God off
*God help any
*God help them.
*my thoughts and prayers
*God for causing this catastrophe

ja
no atheists in cyclones

Katrina wind speed at land fall was, from the info i got so far, larger and had higher wind speeds. Katrina was also tighter and more compressed.

that is awesome. we are still #1!
frak oz

There was a lot of media hype over this Cyclone, specifically about it being larger and more destructive than Cyclone Tracy which completely flattened Darwin in 1974. But these days a very significant amount of infrastructure in Cyclone affected regions is built to withstand Category 5 Cyclones. There has still been significant damage, but it's been nothing like what was predicted in the media.

Having said that, many people have nonetheless been affected and our hearts go out to them. Overall though the feeling is generally one of relief over here in Australia at the moment.

In addition to the human loses, there is an economic cost:

"Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Sugar cane plantations in Australia, the world’s third-largest exporter, likely suffered significant damage from Tropical Cyclone Yasi, helping send futures prices to the highest in 30 years.

“It has actually gone right through the center of key cane-growing areas,” Steve Greenwood, chief executive officer of Brisbane-based producers group Canegrowers said by phone today. “It’s going to be as bad as we thought, unfortunately.”

Yasi, packing winds stronger than those from Hurricane Katrina, crossed overnight into the north Queensland region, which accounts for about a third of Australia’s sugarcane and 85 percent of the nation’s banana output. Canegrowers yesterday estimated losses including damage to crops and farms of at least A$500 million ($505 million). ..."

From: http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=amXFTSswRsM8&pos=6

First coking coal, now cane and bananas plus the cost of disrupted lives and businesses.

interesting, i assumed that all storms were judged equally the way that earthquakes were. Seems not, aparently an Australian Cat 5 is equivilant to a 4 or a 5 on the US scale.

interesting, i assumed that all storms were judged equally the way that earthquakes were. Seems not, aparently an Australian Cat 5 is equivilant to a 4 or a 5 on the US scale.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffir-Simpson_Hurricane_Scale
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_cyclone_scales#Australia

Sounds like you checked this out already, but I'm posting links for the benefit of other readers.

Unfortunately, I have a Pink Gimour song stuck in my head right now. Normally, it's a pleasant little song, but right now it's scary. Odd...I keep hearing "Rock You Like A Hurricane".

Must be due to all that toxic chalk dust I was exposed to as a child.



My curses are to God for causing this catastrophe. I blame society.

I mean - we are causing the "climate chaos" that such storms are a result of, aren't we ?
:rolleyes:

I mean - we are causing the "climate chaos" that such storms are a result of, aren't we ?
:rolleyes:
Coming down one side or the other in that partiular debate is an act bordering on foolhardiness, at this stage.
The correct attitude would be "Not really sure if we are or not, but probably more productive to act as if we are".
Yes? Or you could take the other stance - "Don't care. I'll be dead by the time it gets bad enough to say "wish we had..."".

It's a little difficult to determine if Katrina or Yasi would have been destructive if either had hit at the other location. Fact is, QLD was far better prepared for such an event and has been for decades in terms of infrstructure and building codes. The early warnings and information were good, the result not as bad as it could have been, and the aftermath, particularly in light of other recent events in QLD, far better organised.

Sorry, Gustav.
QLD shits all over you.

Actually, I was following these events with great concern.

My inheritance is a small property in Cardwell. The parents have yet to go into town to see if it's still in one piece. They're about 10 minutes away and have no power, and probably won't have for quite some time.

But they're ok. Barbie has a full canister, meat will be good for a couple of days yet due to being stored underground, house is intact and even the shed is still there. They're actually thinking they were probably lucky that they hadn't got around yet to buying the boat they've been talking about for about 2 years now, because the marina certainly didn't fare too well.

Building codes. Gotta love 'em.

Only question now is who wins the bet that I have to go through the same thing in the next ten years. I live in Darwin. The parents reckon they've won and by the time I have to sit through something like they just have they'll be gone. They put money on it.

But it ain't over yet. Darwin, you have ten years to get hit by a cat 5. Or I lose.

*Good luck
*Good GODS
*piss God off
*God help any
*God help them.
*my thoughts and prayers
*God for causing this catastrophe

ja
no atheists in cyclones

Latest News.
Cyclone drops to Category 3.
Sciforum prayers answered says Queensland Governor.

Oh hell, no. That was all me.

MY inheritance. God just didn't want to take me on when I was angry.

*Snort*

I thought you were further south of Darwin. Alice is looking to get a bit of a deluge from this now, if the forecast is anything to go by.

No deaths reported yet. Some are still missing, boaties I believe.

Thankfully your parents were not in Cardwell Marq. The devastation there looks awful. As for the boats..


Aerial images of Cardwell today revealed the cyclone's power; boats piled up along the devastated town's foreshore, sitting on top of each other and most damaged beyond repair.

Queensland Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts told Fairfax Radio 4BC the cyclone's force was so great that some boats in Cardwell were found two blocks inland.

With the already damaged roads into the town now flooded, there has been no chance for evacuated residents to return today. Authorities remain concerned for 100 people who ignored orders yesterday to flee.

(Source) (http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/air-and-sea-search-for-missing-boatie-20110201-1acgp.html)


Why would people refuse to leave.. Ugh..

Our family getaway came through okay. Minor damage and the garden has apparently disappeared, but the most importat thing is that our friends are alright. Those in Townsville will be in a bit of bother in the coming days as the water supply runs out due to the power being out and probably won't be restored for a few days yet..

As for a Cat 5 hitting Darwin. I have seen a couple as a child and I never EVER want to see one again. EVER.

I have a lot of family from my birth country who reside here and elsewhere around the world who have often commented that they would like to re-experience one again. I never want to again, for as long as I live. I won't even go to the family house in Summer, in case they get a cyclone. Having lived through the experience of the roof lifting off and being tied to the toilet when I was around 7 years of age and spending a terrifying night in pitch black with wind pounding us to the point where drawing breath was difficult.. I never want to experience it again. I never want to hear that high pitch scream of the wind.. a scream that doesn't pause or stop, nor do I want to feel my ears popping as the roof starts to vibrate above as the pressure in the house builds up until my father used to go to the leeside of the house and open the window. One time he got there too late and part of the roof lifted off. Was one of those defining moments that stuck with me forever. I hope you lose that bet to be honest. It isn't something I would wish on anyone. Even you.:p

Odd...I keep hearing "Rock You Like A Hurricane".

Must be due to all that toxic chalk dust I was exposed to as a child.

Nah. Presently I have AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" worming through my head.

Given that the Scorpions' classic anthem is an air show standard, well ... hey, a category five storm is something of an air show.

And considerably less smarmy than Pink Gilmour, in this context.

How do they cope with hurricanes like this? Are the people evacuated?


sometimes
mostly we picnic in the park or go clubbing

:cheers:

Bells it looks like thankfully the damage is all to propertyand you could see the mix of pleasure and shock that she wasn't reporting mass casualties on the face of the premier and its not hard to see why.

Acording to the details which apeared in the advertiser yesterday this was so big that either 3 cyclone Tracy's or both cyclone Tracy (50km across) AND cyclone Larry (100km across) IN THE EYE of Yasi

The BBC has pictures (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12343256) of the devastation caused by Yasi. Why Yasi, btw? What does it mean?

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/9328/bbcnewsinpicturescyclon.png

"Yasi" is a Fijian name meaning "sandalwood". The cyclone started as a tropical low pressure system in Fijian waters, so the Fijian Meteorological Service got the naming rights.

Australia has a system for naming its cyclones. Each year, the names start with the letter A, then B, then C, etc., and alternate between male and female names. Australian-named cyclones tend to have "anglo" names.

---

Right now, in Victoria, thousands of kilometres away from where Yasi hit, we're getting heavy rains from the tail end of the cyclone. It's pouring down outside my house as I write this.

Picture Please!

Hinchinbrook Marina:

http://images.brisbanetimes.com.au/2011/02/03/2165713/516147649-600x400.jpg

Part of the Township of Cardwell..

http://images.brisbanetimes.com.au/2011/02/03/2165810/516155286-600x400.jpg

The foreshore of Cardwell

http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2011/02/04/1225999/966291-yasi-cardwell5.jpg

Video: Queensland floods: “The government left us for dead” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1msMg_2KoU&feature=player_embedded)

Its been two weeks since I logged in, I have many family and friends in Queensland affected by this disaster.

So just to clarify to the non Australians on sciforums the situation, residents here were given no official warnings of the impending disaster in January. In Part 2 this man speaks about the inadequate government response to the disaster and being threatened with arrest by police if he attempted to speak with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh when they visited Grantham in late January. Its obvious that future floods will be more devastating in loss of life and property, we have fallen down the same track as America.

@Bells
That's a fine lot of scrapwood in that Marina.

Although the damages are great there wasn't much loss of life, which is the best thing, for all else can be rebuilt. Looks like the houses that were well constructed did good in holding up to the storm from those images.

"... The storm, which the government says may have wiped out at least A$500 million ($507 million) of agricultural production, raised speculation that the world’s third-largest sugar exporter may struggle to match last year’s output that was the lowest in two decades. ..." {Sugar prices are already at 30+ year high. - looks like I will be putting gasoline in my car routinely for at least half a year.}

From: http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a_.HUO62TGK4&pos=6

Its been two weeks since I logged in, I have many family and friends in Queensland affected by this disaster.

So just to clarify to the non Australians on sciforums the situation, residents here were given no official warnings of the impending disaster in January.

How are you travelling, Brian? I go between Ipswich and Toowoomba regularly, and can lend a hand if needed.

But I've got to disagree regarding official warnings. The BOM had flash flooding warnings broadcast for Toowoomba earlier in the day, the Brisbane and Ipswich floods were pretty well advertised for days in advance, and the weather patterns were warned about for months out:
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/features/expert-warns-that-cyclones-rain-and-flooding-are-on-the-way/story-e6freorf-1225939565460

I blame the way the popular media is managed. There isn't room between the fluff, sensation, sport, and tripe to get important messages out consistently.


The Grantham disaster is mindblowing and heartbreaking. But given the unprecedent scale of the flash flood that hit it, it's hard to see how it could have been prevented, or managed any better in the immediate aftermath - but I don't know about the ongoing management.
I feel for Marty (from the video) and the whole community, but I don't know that fingerpointing is the right thing to do, and if it is, it should be pointed in the right direction. Marty seems to want to blame the government for insurance company decisions.

Levity is often awkward in the face of tragedy, but sometimes we can find smiles that, although grim, still warm us considerably.

Or ... How 'bout that CNN?


http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2011/02/07/1226001/517568-cnn-queensland-in-tasmania.jpg (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/the-other-side/cnn-coverage-of-cyclone-yasi-places-queensland-in-tasmania/story-e6frfhk6-1226001521814)
Oh, Queensland? An alleged typo ("Queenstown") brought CNN minor embarrassment, to say the least.

Via The Herald Sun (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/the-other-side/cnn-coverage-of-cyclone-yasi-places-queensland-in-tasmania/story-e6frfhk6-1226001521814).
____________________

Notes:

Schulz, Matthew. "CNN coverage of Cyclone Yasi places Queensland in Tasmania". The Herald Sun. February 7, 2011. HeraldSun.com.au. February 9, 2011. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/the-other-side/cnn-coverage-of-cyclone-yasi-places-queensland-in-tasmania/story-e6frfhk6-1226001521814

I hope you lose that bet to be honest. It isn't something I would wish on anyone. Even you.:p
Bah. The gods are playing with me.
Only a little baby wannabe cat one. "Carlos". Barely deserved to be named, I was very disappointed. All that effort bringing in all the plants off my balcony, and for nought.
Knocked out my internet for a few days. Tree came down up on the corner and brought up the underground phone lines with it. Good thing I had a loaf of bread, some Promite, and a stack of good books. Although I had to go in to work. "Essential staff". Phht. Thats what I get working for a utility company.


Rather fun standing out in the park yelling "Bring it on, Hughie!" though. I'm quite sure the neighbours thought me quite mad.
Damn, it was fun though. Beautiful.

Promite?

What kind of Aussie are you?

Vegemite..

Hmmm vegemite lightly spread on thick toast...

:mad: And not able to get that for several days. And I've run out of books to read and am finding myself enjoying a very.. errrmm.. mainstream novel by the name of "Good to a Fault".. Which is ironic really considering the subject matter..

*Sigh* at my husband's choice of books to bring to me..

Couple more days of this hell.. Then I be home..

Freeeeeeeddooooommmmmm...

Pfft.. Promite..

Honestly, I'd slap you if I could.:p

A reasonably odd Australian, by all accounts. More so given where I live.
Anywhere south of Darwin is probably not a place I'd enjoy living in either.

Promite!

From C.Schwab's morning letter:

"Sugar prices scaled a 30-year top at 36.08 cents per lb on Feb. 2 amid fears that already-tight supplies would dwindle further as a cyclone hit sugarcane fields in Australia, the world's third-largest exporter of raw sugar. An estimated one-quarter of Australia's sugar crop may have been lost in the sugar-producing state{s? - Schwab report terminated here}. ... The surge in sugar prices to 30-year highs is helping high-fructose corn syrup regain market share in North America after a decade of diminishing demand. U.S. production of the corn syrup perked up substantially last year when exports surged, mainly to Mexico. In 2010, exports of HFCS more than doubled from the prior year. "No one's talking about it, but a number of HFCS plants are running at full capacity, some probably exceeding full capacity," said Roy Huckabay, analyst at The Linn Group. ..."

BTW US corn prices are also at ~30 high, having climbed 95% in last 12 months and 20% of the crop is being used to produce alcohol, due to 4.1 billion dollars of annual subsidy. This despite the net energy yield of corn based alcohol is negative. - More energy used in fertilizer, for tractors, for collection, for shipping to distillation plants, for distillation, which in US tends to use natural gas in contrast to sugar cane alcohol, which burns the crushed cane for the needed heat. Furthermore, there is so much heat excess released by the burning cane that ~10% of Brazil's electric power for several months each year is produced from the crushed cane. - This saves water behind the dams for later release. Less than 5% of Brazil's electricity is generated by fossil fuels - mainly by natural gas fired "peaking unit" turbines. As most cars use alcohol fuel (no net CO2 release) Brazil's main contribution to global warming is the methane belches from the world's largest cattle herd.*

*For benefit of the Aussi readers, your herd is smaller but produces higher value beef than Brazil's entirely pasture feed steers (tougher meat as they walk up and done more hills) so some years Australia gets greater export value (funds) than Brazil does. Feed lot feed beef can get mad cow disease, and Brazil's herd never will as it eats only grass.