Experts eye rare cyclone
EXTRA hands are on deck at the Bureau of Meteorology as weather boffins track a landmark out- of- season tropical cyclone due to cross into Queensland’s waters by the weekend.
Tropical Cyclone Liua yesterday became the first ever cyclone to form in Fijian waters in September since records began. If the Category 1 system crosses into BOM territory, it will become the first Septem- ber cyclone for Australia’s eastern seaboard.
But BOM has confirmed it will not push forward its usual pre- cyclone season briefings to State Government and local disaster groups, even as the southern Solomon Islands is belted by the exceptionally rare September cyclone.
State manager for BOM Queensland Bruce Gunn said a September cyclone was not unprecedented, noting Tropical Cyclone Phoebe, which formed off the Western Aus- tralian coast in 2004. Cyclone season traditionally runs from November to April.
“The Bureau will issue its Tropical Cyclone Outlook for the Coral Sea while Liua is active but is otherwise approaching the 2018- 19 season with its usual briefings to State Government and district disaster management groups in Queensland,” he said.
“The Tropical Cyclone Outlook for 2018- 19 will be officially released nationally on Monday, October 8.
“Tropical Cyclone Liua currently lies south of the Solomon Islands and is not expected to impact the Queensland coast.
“Heavy rainfall, gale force winds and very rough seas are currently occurring over the southern Solomon Islands.”
Fijian meteorologists expect Tropical Cyclone Liua to leave their area of responsibility on Saturday, before the storm devolves into a tropical low.
BOM meteorologist Lauren Pattie said the event had been met with “interest and intrigue” from the department, with extra staff activated to keep track of the system and storms in southeast Queensland.
“Because we work 24/ 7, there is always someone watching Queensland … all day, all night someone is tracking Queensland weather,” Ms Pattie said.
“We do get extra people in during significant weather, and cyclones are one of those things, so we do have extra people on today because of the cyclone.
“It’s definitely something we act on, every time we see a tropical system, we are thinking about what that means, the impacts that will have and getting some more people to watch those systems.”
Ms Pattie said the ingredients needed for a cyclone to form are present in September, but it is rare for all those factors to line up before November.