Just when you thought it was safe

This morning the cyclone Ita in the Coral Sea was a category 2. This evening it is a category 5 with winds of over 285kph and heading for Cape York north of Cairns.

Glad I'm a couple of thousand ks further south

Re: Just when you thought it was safe

Sounds nasty Bruce. We might get rain and the occasional whirlwind but nothing serious.

Re: Just when you thought it was safe

Doesn't sound very nice to be in its way, poor things.
After 30 storms and 2 Hurricanes this Winter Alan I am surprised
you said nothing serious happens here

Re: Just when you thought it was safe

What is "serious" is open to interpretation Sandra, but I think of the sort of tornados they get in America as serious.

Re: Just when you thought it was safe

Santa never made it into Darwin back in the 70s.
The Easter Bunny might not make it to Cook Town.
Cyclones are a way of life here.

Re: Just when you thought it was safe

Actually you can't get hurricanes in the UK you are too far north. They only form over sea between certain latitudes and the water temperature has to be higher than something like 25'C.

In spite of what the newspapers may report high winds do not a hurricane make I suspect you get the equivalent of what we call an east coast low which causes high winds and torrential rain but is definitely not a cyclone.


You have to feel for the Innisfail area because it is only a couple of years since they were hit by category 5 Yasi.

Re: Just when you thought it was safe

it's like living on volcanic fault lines - get off of them permanently!!

Re: Just when you thought it was safe

Definition of hurricane in Oxford Dictionary:

A storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean.

Re: Just when you thought it was safe

It's a meteorological term. You highlighted the wrong part of the sentence 'In particular...' is the important bit.

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Here's Hurricane Isabel

Re: Just when you thought it was safe

"in particular" doesn't mean exclusively, but maybe this definition is more accurate, then:

A wind of force 12 on the Beaufort scale, above 118 km/h, is also referred to as a hurricane irrespective of its origin or location.