Cyclone Hamish tracks down Great Barrier Reef

by Sail-World.com on 9 Mar 2009 Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish has been tracking down the Queensland coast for the past five days. It reached category five with wind gusts near the centre of up to 140 knots on Sunday, before dropping back to a category four later in the afternoon.

Cyclone Hamish still poses a threat to exposed coastal and island communities between Yeppoon and Hervey Bay, including Heron and Lady Elliot Islands, which have now been evacuated. Forecasters estimate the cyclone is as destructive as Cyclone Larry which wreaked havoc in north Queensland three years ago.

On Sunday afternoon winds peaked on Middle Percy Island, the popular stop-over for yachts transiting the Central Queensland coast, at 60 knots but by 5am local time had dropped to below 40 knots.

This morning Gannet Cay further east of Middle Percy is experiencing winds averaging 60 knots, gust readings are not available but given the location of the cyclone are likely to be closer to 75 knots.

The cyclone is expected to maintain a southeast track parallel to the coast during the next 24 hours and slowly weaken.

While tourists have been also evacuated from Great Keppel Island, off Yeppoon, about 20 residents are staying put.

Damaging winds are expected to affect exposed islands between Yeppoon and Hervey Bay and may affect coastal areas in this region if the cyclone takes a more southerly track.

As the cyclone moves to the southeast, sea levels are expected to be elevated above the normal tide along the coastline and large waves may produce minor flooding along the foreshore, particularly between Yeppoon and Gladstone on the high tide this morning.