Surveying the Damage from the Impacts of Tropical Cyclone Debbie! (credit: 9 News Australia)3/29/2017  DISCUSSION: Well after the recent landfall of Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie, many people across coastal sections of northeastern Australia woke up to a substantially different world. In the wake of the intense wind and water damage (i.e., from storm surge as well as heavy rainfall), there was major infrastructural damage inflicted on homes and businesses during of this recent storm's impacts. As shown in the image above as well as the website link below, there was major damage inflicted along the immediate coastline areas as TC Debbie roared ashore during the late evening hours on Monday. If any good news came out of this event, it was that there appeared to be little to no storm-related casualties from TC Debbie which was likely due to the fact that the majority of people in the path of this powerful tropical cyclone heeded the warnings! It is also worth noting that due in part to the relatively slow progression of TC Debbie as it came ashore, strong winds lashed many coastal cities which included (but were certainly not limited to) Shute Harbour, Queensland, Australia which produced the results shown above and in the link attached here!
To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz
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Revealing Damage from the Landfall of Tropical Cyclone Debbie! (credit: Higgins Storm Chasing)3/28/2017 
DISCUSSION: As a very strong Tropical Cyclone Debbie rolled ashore later Tuesday evening, there were severe impacts across many regions. As shown in the graphic above (courtesy of the Higgins Storm Chasing team), there was substantial damage inflicted on many coastal towns and cities. One such impacted city (as captured above), was the city of Shute Harbor which was severely impacted by strong winds and storm surge damaged. Being as though water (i.e, in this case being the wave action coming in with the circulation of Tropical Cyclone Debbie) power is the most powerful force on Earth, there was no surprise with the fact that there was severe damage inflicted on the coastline of northeastern Australia. However, the process of recovering from such severe impacts will naturally take time to happen and will be a regional gradual process. It is important to note that even as the immediate and worst impacts associated with the landfall of Debbie have now ended for the most part, there will still be impacts from the associated moisture over the next couple of days. This will be a result of the circulation associated with a much weaker Tropical Cyclone Debbie being absorbed into another low pressure system over the next few days towards the beginnings of the South Pacific Ocean.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Tropical Cyclone Debbie Landfalls in NE Queensland! (credit: Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz)3/27/2017  DISCUSSION: As of the early afternoon hours (i.e., with respect to Australian Eastern Standard Time), the western eye wall has begun to move ashore into several cities positioned across parts of northeastern Queensland, Australia! The impacts from this large and powerful tropical cyclone will continue well-beyond the point of landfall. As this large tropical cyclone continues to move further inland and gradually weaken, there will continue to be heavy rainfall, strong-to-damaging winds, and large-scale flooding across many impacted areas. To learn about more details pertaining to the landfall and post-landfall impacts of Tropical Cyclone #Debbie, feel free to watch the Facebook live and lower video briefing (attached above).
To learn more about other high-impact events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Tropical Cyclone Debbie Closing In On NE Australia! (credit: ABC News 24 and New Zealand Herald)3/26/2017 
DISCUSSION: As explained in more detail in both the graphics and video attached above, there continue to be major large-scale concerns for the continued approach of Tropical Cyclone Debbie. As this powerful tropical cyclone continues on its current southwestward track, it will be closing in on the coastline running along many parts of northeastern Queensland, Australia. Moreover, as shown in the lower image (attached above), it may very well make landfall as a dangerous Category 4 storm (i.e., maximum sustained winds near the center at or over 209 kilometers/hour or 130 miles/hour.) Thus, as this storm gradually pushes further inland, there will absolutely remain to be a continued wind and flooding threat. This is primarily due to the particularly large size of the Debbie's circulation. Hence, as this large cyclone moves ashore, there will be a plethora of rainfall over a large region which is climatologically dry for the most part this time of year. Therefore, this will increase the overall flooding threat as a result of the large amounts of incoming rainfall not being able to permeate into the soil across many parts of northeast Australia.
For more details on this incoming tropical cyclone threat, here are some direct excerpts from the Bureau of Meteorology: "Emergency information for Tropical Cyclone Debbie:For storm and flood assistance contact SES on 132 500 and in a life-threatening emergency call 000 Evacuations are in place for Whitsundays low-lying areas, Cape Cleveland areas, and Burdekin coastal communities must be out by 10am Refuge centres and cyclone shelters are open in the Whitsundays, Townsville and Ayr All flights are cancelled for tomorrow out of Whitsundays airport. Flights to and from Townsville and Mackay airports are still operational Sandbags available from councils in Townsville, Bowen and Mackay." To learn more about this and other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz 
DISCUSSION: As of this evening (local time in the Central United States), there continues to be a serious and very real threat towards northeastern Australia from what is now a much stronger Tropical Cyclone Debbie. Over the next 12 to 24 hours, this strong tropical cyclone is expected to impact many parts of northeastern Australia (i.e., especially across coastal and semi-inland sections of northeastern Queensland) with strong winds and particularly heavy rainfall. Due to the especially large size of this tropical cyclone's circulation, the primary impact zone from this incoming tropical storm will be very widespread. The major concerns include the possibility of flooding, flash flooding, landslides, and potentially even widespread power outages. As this storm makes landfall in northeastern Queensland by around Monday afternoon (with respect to Australian Eastern Daylight Time), there will also be a threat for a high-impact storm surge which may lead to severe coastal erosion and severe coastal property damage.
The most likely landfall location will be in the vicinity of Mission Beach, Queensland, Australia (which is located approximately 139 km to the south of Cairns, Queensland, Australia or approximately 235 km to the north of Townsville, Queensland, Australia). Thus, this storm will definitively be impacting major population centers across northeastern Australia and even after it begins to move further inland, Debbie will continue to present a major flooding threat across interior sections of northeastern Australia. This is primarily due to the fact that as this tropical storm continues moving inland, it will be dumping a plethora of rainfall over many dry parts of Australian continent which will create a vast amount of regional rainfall water runoff. Hence, this could lead to a large amount of flash flooding since much of the rainfall water will not be able to sufficiently permeate into the ground across northeastern Australia. To learn more about other high-impact weather events across northeastern Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz 
DISCUSSION: As of the current time, there is a concerning situation developing just offshore from parts of northeastern Australia. Here is the direct forecast discussion as posted by the Higgins Storm Chasing team concerning this serious and evolving forecast situation.
"A low pressure system of 1005 hectopascals is currently located 750 km to the northeast of Cairns, Australia while intensifying. This low has a very high chance of further developing into a tropical low in the Coral Sea off the North Queensland coast during Thursday and Friday. The tropical low is very likely to move in a South Westerly direction towards the North Queensland coast while intensifying. During Saturday there is a 50% moderate risk and on Sunday a 75% high risk chance for the system to further develop into a tropical cyclone. The image linked above is courtesy of Weatherzone." Then their team goes on to say the following: "Important forecast note: A world leading high resolution computer model suggests the potential cyclone may undergo a period of rapid intensification during Sunday and early Monday just prior to possible landfall. This rapid intensification would be due to the system encountering a very favorable environment of 30 °C sea surface temperatures and very low vertical wind shear. Given this forecast data scenario, a severe category 3 cyclone with VERY DESTRUCTIVE wind gusts between 165 km/hr and 224 km/hr would be possible. There is still some uncertainty though with all global forecast data sets on the exact strength, timing and crossing of the system. People along the North Queensland Coast between Cairns and Mackay including the adjacent inland at this stage should closely monitor further forecasts and updates. Our forecast confidence is extremely high (90%) for a minimum of tropical low development and coastal crossing in North Queensland with strong winds, heavy rain and possible flooding. This heavy rain and possible flooding would also extend through northern inland sections of Australia into early next week. We have produced our second premium member forecast release with high resolution detailed tropical low / cyclone forecast track maps and threats for Queensland. Existing HSC premium members please login here to view daily forecasts and maps. Further daily updates will be issued which will greatly increase if a cyclone develops." To learn more about other high-impact events occurring the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz Severe Thunderstorm over Brisbane Airport Drops Brief Tornado! (credit: Higgins Storm Chasing)3/17/2017  DISCUSSION: As a weak, low pressure system quickly moved through parts of central to eastern Australia, there were a number of strong to severe thunderstorms which impacted several largely populated cities across far eastern portions of Queensland, Australia. To be more specific, cities including (but not limited to) Brisbane were impacted by strong to severe thunderstorms. Some of these storms moved through deep-layer atmospheric environments characterized by stronger vertical wind shear. The presence of this stronger vertical wind shear allowed a few of these storms to develop significant rotation and one of them (as shown in the image above) developed a substantial wall cloud with a rotating lower of the cloud deck. Though this was not a tornado at the time at which the video footage was captured, this storm did briefly drop a tornado earlier in its history.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across Australia and the South Pacific, be sure to click here! ©2017 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz |
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