TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST
SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
for Heavy Rain causing Flash Flooding
For communities over the Cape York Peninsula and North Tropical Coast.
Issued at 4:45 pm on Saturday 5 March 2011

Synoptic Situation: At 4pm a Tropical Low was located over the northwest Coral
Sea about 150 kilometres east of Lockhart River. The low is expected to move
slowly southwest closer to the Queensland coast. While the chances of the low
developing into a weak tropical cyclone remain small, it is still likely to
bring heavy rain areas to far north Queensland.

Heavy rain areas with scattered thunderstorms are expected to affect Cape York
Peninsula, particularly the coast north of Cooktown from tonight, causing flash
flooding and possible flooding of low lying areas. The heavy rain areas are
expected to spread southwards to the North Tropical Coast, between Cooktown and
Cardwell during Sunday.

The State Emergency Service advises that people in the affected area should:
. Avoid driving, walking or riding through flood waters
. Take care on the roads, especially in heavy downpours
. Avoid swimming in swollen rivers and creeks

Contact the SES on 132 500 for emergency assistance if required.


The next warning is due to be issued by 11 pm EST [Saturday].

This warning is also available through TV and Radio broadcasts; the Bureau's
website at www.bom.gov.au or call 1300 659 219. The Bureau and State Emergency
Service would appreciate this warning being broadcast regularly.

Radar looking good. Line heading straight for us. Can only view on mbl as I'm waiting for bigpond to fix dropouts which apparently take 4 hrs. Raining off and on here

Got the EWN Message this morning via Text! Im so impressed with EWN. Here is a link to the site I really think it is an important tool to use especially when you are unable to be near the computer. http://www.ewn.com.au/

Was a fantastic day up here today, sun , thunder and rain! Who could ask for more! Looks like an interesting week ahead for us all!

Already a few cooling showers moving through here (Bilyana), with the odd roll of thunder to the SW as well. Was an absolute stinker today so for once the rain is more than welcome!

I really like that photo Myak. Can picture something "Harry Potterish" looming out of the clouds. No, I haven't been drinking.

Bit of storm activity around, a few drops of rain but nothing exciting at this stage.

As good as Myak's photo is it doesn't do it justice. I called home to get my partner to take a photo of it but by the time she had the camera it was getting dull. It was amazing at one point. It was also in the upper atmosphere so I doubt that the haze was the cause.

It's pouring here at the moment.

nice yellow cell over you CF missed us but another behind.

8mm in the past 15 minutes but now it's getting heavier.

Yeah it looked much better when I was up on the roof. By the time I got down to take the photo it had gotten a bit darker and was not as amazing.

and @Green n Lumpy ...lol, 'cue harry potter music' . I was thinking more Laputa: Castle in the Sky .

Seeing a bit of lightning around, always seem to be away from the detector when it happens though! Sitting here staring at it now with this oncoming rain band

nice cell/line headed our way if it can hld up things. but not much behind it as yet, might be a fizzer non rain event yet.

Detector has flashed a few times, although I'm kinda stuck in my room with it, so need to wait till its a bit closer to know whether it's lightning or not. It's random enough to be lightning though!

On goes the squabbling in the CS thread...and back to FN I go *shakes head*
So Things...how does one go about making a lighting detector...does it measure EMP, or something?

Its basically a highly sensitive amplifier locked to around 300Khz. 300Khz is fairly empty, apart from lightning static. So yes, it basically does measure EMP, but at a certain frequency, to avoid interference.

The circuit I (And many others) used is here: http://www.techlib.com/electronics/lightning.html

And my creative circuit board idea



Cheers,
Dan

OK well, seems to work

Whats interesting is its actually picking up the strikes a good second before you actually see the flash, which is crazy!

may be thats the build up of energy before its released things, not sure.

I'd say so. My guess is it's picking up the leaders. Because the energy does not yet have a direct path to earth, it's radiated through the air (which the detector picks up), then when the leader actually meets up, all the energy is taken directly to the ground (or cloud), instead of through the air.

Might be fizzling here...Yarrabah Range up to its usual tricks, splitting it off to the south

Interesting looking board there Things. Now, could someone please tell Townsville to turn down there forcefield as it's affecting us up here . Sighs while watching radar

That's awesome things. Good work. Now i want one
Well that band broke down somewhat before crossing the beaches. Was going to go up on the roof to watch the lightning as the line approached but the boss said No!