Monica, Strong Category 5 Cyclone Threatens Australia Again!

Source: The Storm Track

Cyclone Monica is taking a second pass through the Australian outback, threatening numerous aboriginal communities and tourist businesses in its path.

Yeah, I believe the Bush Administration's claims that "global warming" isn't real. [sarcasm]

This situation remains dire along the north coast of Australia. It is hard to imagine a worse situation in this area as Australian cyclones almost never reach this strength. Monica is currently much stronger than 1974's Cyclone Tracy which is the benchmark storm for Australia. As far as I can tell, Monica may be the most intense cyclone to ever impact the region or even Australia. However, records are hard to find. After striking Queensland a few days ago, Monica has crossed Gulf of Carpentaria and is strafing the coast of the Northern Territory. All of this comes as part of a recent string of cyclone strikes across the country. The latest advisory from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center lists Monica as a category 5 cyclone with sustained wind of 155 knots (178 mph) and a central pressure of 879 mb. This is an incredibly powerful cylone that actually is stronger than Hurricane Wilma (the strongest hurricane ever in the Atlantic).

Monica recently passed over Australia's Wessel Islands. At 879 mb, Monica is stronger than the dreaded hurricanes Wilma, Katrina and Rita or any other Atlantic hurricane ever were, never mind at landfall. The symmetry seen is Monica is flawless and it is rare to every see a tropical system look so well-defined. For reference, average sea-level pressure is 1013.25 mb and the lowest pressure ever recorded was 870 mb in Typhoon Tip, but I will mention this again later.

Unfortunately, for the people caught in the path of this Goliath storm, global warming is very real.



Chilling comments from someone once in a similar storm:

For those that have never experienced one of these monsters of earth science, the power is beyond description in words. I grew up in South Florida, USA, and I have seen a number of these Willie's, first hand. Nothing as powerful as what is being seen with Monica, but enough to know that if you have any fear of wind and water, you might as well move as far inland as you can. I have been in the Eye of a Landfall and the sensation is a life changing experience. If anyone can stay the path during a big storm, you will never know anything else in this life, as intense...

Posted by: Hurricane at April 24, 2006 09:03 AM

Is it me, or are these cyclones and hurricanes which hit the U.S. coast turning up the intensity every year. It seems that the storms are getting more dangerous and packing a greater potential for damage.

On a personal note, I have good friends now residing in Australia so I hope they, along with many others, stay safe.



Tags: [Cyclone Monica], [Australia], [Australia in the middle of another cyclonic storm], [global warming], [is global warming causing these superstorms?]