Cyclone Hamish weakens and doubles back

by Sail-World.com and Powerboat-world.com on 11 Mar 2009 At 4am Queensland time this morning Cyclone Hamish is about 230 kilometres east of Sandy Cape, near Hervey Bay.

The threat posed by the tropical cyclone is continuing to reduce as the Category 3 system moves slowly away from the southern Queensland coast. Cyclone Hamish is expected to be downgraded to a Category 2 storm tomorrow morning and track back north.

Overall, coastal wind damage was less than expected, all the way down the Queensland Coast from the Whitsundays to Coolangatta.

However the effect on the central and southern coastal areas continues. A Severe Weather Warning is current for damaging winds, abnormally high tides and dangerous surf for coastal and island communities between Sandy Cape and Coolangatta.

This is being caused by the combination of the large high pressure system over the western Tasman Sea and Cyclone Hamish producing strong to gale force winds and large waves about the southeast Queensland coast.

Dangerous surf and bar conditions and abnormally high tides are expected along the coast over the next few days.

Winds at Double Island Point topped 57 knots at 1915 on Tuesday night but winds have now eased back to 37 knots gusting to 43 knots. Cape Moreton had gusts to 49 knot around midnight last night.

Further north conditions have eased. At 5am local time winds at Middle Percy Islands were averaging 19 gusting to 25 knots. Lady Elliott Island winds 17 knots average, gusting to 30 knots.

Sunshine Coast beaches have been hit hard by erosion as Cyclone Hamish moves down the coast.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Bob Abbot told ABC Radio last night that erosion is a problem. 'Strong south-easterly winds, big seas, high tides, will always mean erosion on the Sunshine Coast beaches,' he said. 'Main Beach copped a flogging last night at Noosa Heads, as did Mooloolaba and Alexandra Headlands.'