Cyclone Yasi compared to size of US and UK:
10.16pm There’s been record wave height – 9.5m – this afternoon off Townsville. “This is the highest that has ever been recorded since measurements began in 1975,” Premier Anna Bligh said. Similarly in Cardwell we are planing for a storm surge of over 7m over the high tide mark, Lucinda Beach 4m and at Cairns 2.6m.”
10.50pm Police report a person at Innisfail has called them, asking to evacuate. Emergency workers cannot respond, other than give advice on sheltering, police say. “These are not conditions in which we can send out emergency workers,” Premier Anna Bligh said this evening. “These are not conditions where you can put up a helicopter to do a winch rescue. All of that is now beyond the realm of possibility.”
10.39pm Across North Queensland, more than 61,000 homes are without power.
11.34pm Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says reports of an 18m wave at Townsville are false. Waves breaking over a buoy have turned it upside down, causing it to give inaccurate measurements.
11.39pm More on the call to police for evacuation assistance: Six people in their 60s at Port Hinchinbrook in a storm surge area made the call, and have been given telephone support.
11.41pm Premier Anna Bligh says people in affected areas may need to be self sufficient for a couple of days. She said she wouldn’t “sugar coat” the difficulties ahead for far north Queenslanders. “We will do everything in our power to minimise that time but that’s not in our control, it will depend on conditions, if we can get helicopters up and how badly damaged roads are.” Her warning comes as 89,000 homes have had power cut. At her last media update for the evening she said: “We are waiting anxiously with you … we hope that you can feel our thoughts. We hope to see you safe and well tomorrow morning.”
12.43am Cassowary Coast councillor Ross Sorbello said his house was shaking under the force of winds of up to 290km/h. “We’re already at a stage where it’s worse than it was during Larry. I don’t remember the house shaking like that last time,” he told AAP. “The wind and rain outside are howling, it’s a horrible sound.”
1.40am Boyd “Scotty” Scott, of Scotty’s Beach House at Yasi “ground zero” Mission Beach, has told Sky News after the cyclone crossed: “I’m looking at stars above me, that’s how calm it is … At the moment, I don’t feel it’s been that much different to Larry.”
2.10am Townsville authorities say there is no way of knowing how many homes will be inundated as a result of an expected record storm surge as cyclone Yasi belts the north Queensland coast. A wave height of 9.5 metres had been recorded at the city, almost three metres above the expected level, but authorities will not be able to determine the effects of the storm surge until after the cyclone has passed.
4:25am Queensland Police have received widespread reports of widespread damage and destruction but no reported injuries or deaths so far. Related Coverage Flood levy: ‘Will just pass’
4:10am Cyclone Yasi has been downgraded to category 4 and is expected to weaken, according to the latest Bureau of Meteorology report.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/flo…
