Category 5 Hurricane Heading For Queensland - Reuters

[hatrack]

SYDNEY - "A powerful cyclone with winds up to 290 kmh (180 mph) is heading towards far northeastern Australia and could hit land within the next two days, weather officials said on Tuesday.

Cyclone Ingrid, more powerful than Cyclone Tracy that destroyed the northern city of Darwin on Christmas Day 1974, was expected to slam into the Australian coast in 24 to 48 hours. "Ingrid is a category five cyclone and we don't often see them. When it does come ashore it will pack a punch near its eye," said Phil Alford with the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre.

Residents along the sparsely populated coast, which runs parallel to the Great Barrier Reef, have been urged to board up homes and shops and secure boats ahead of the cyclone, which will bring destructive winds, storm tides and flooding.

Ingrid was 320 km (200 miles) northeast of Cooktown, population about 1,600, and travelling at eight kmh (five mph) towards the coast."

EDIT

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/29865/story.htm

[phantom power]

1. I've never read about hurricanes down there. But, it's late summer

for them now, right?

[soothsayer]

2. That's cuz they have cyclones!

[hatrack]

3. Bloody hell! You're right - "cyclones" not bloody Yank "hurricanes"

:hi:

[phantom power]

4. Also not to be confused with Asian "typhoons"

[NNadir]

5. The number of powerful storms is no joke.

It's a consequence of a human action.

[hatrack]

6. Impressive Image of Ingrid From NASA

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3

[phantom power]

7. Strongest storm since 1918 to make landfall in that area.

[Massacure]

8. 180 mile per hour winds? What was Ivan, 130?