Monica strengthens to category 4 (SS-3?)

[phantom power]

I believe this is a cat-3 storm on the Saffir Simson scale used in the Americas (see wunderground map)

More than 100 people have already been evacuated from low-lying Northern Territory properties in the path of the rapidly intensifying cyclone.

(...)

Wind gusts up to 260 kph may approach the northeast Arnhem Land coast on Saturday night or Sunday morning.

Dangerously high tides could also cause extensive flooding at the coast between Groote Eylandt and Elcho Island between Saturday night and Sunday.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Monica-strengthens-to-category-4/2006/04/22/1145344304120.html

[electropop]

1. We already had Hurricane Monica up here.

Caused massive damage in 1998.

[phantom power]

2. Queensland? (formerly known as "the pointy thing")

[electropop]

3. Washington DC

:evilgrin:

[Dogmudgeon]

8. Hello? Is this thing on?

:)

--p!

[jbnow]

6. That was Hurricane Ken eom

[bluestateguy]

4. Oh I don't know about that. Monica looks the same to me

[YDogg]

5. Oh. THAT Monica.

[kurth]

7. Thar she blows

[electropop]

9. Ouch!

hehehe!

[NNadir]

10. Darwin gets it again.

That city has already been destroyed by a cyclone once, in 1974.

http://www.naa.gov.au/fsheets/FS176.html

It was also the only city in Mainland Australia to be bombed by the Japanese during World War II.

They have all the fun up there.

Of course Darwin is also under attack in the United States, but that is not a matter of weather so much as stupidity and mysticism.

[phantom power]

11. Geez, now its a projected cat-5 landfall?? Safir Simson! Gusts 200mph??

[phantom power]

12. The most intense cyclone in Top End history...

THE most intense cyclone in Top End history is threatening remote Aboriginal communities on Australia's northern coastline and Elcho Island where 2000 residents were last night sheltering from destructive winds.

(...)

The Darwin Regional Forecasting Centre warned Monica was packing "very destructive winds" of up to 350kmh as it moved west across the sea over the weekend.

David Wilson, a resident of Galiwin'ku, 550 kilometres east of Darwin in North-East Arnhem Land, said residents were evacuated from low lying areas and taken to a cyclone-coded school. "Everything else has been just nailed down," Mr Wilson told ABC radio.

(...)

Mr Jackson said Monica would probably be a category three or four cyclone by the time it reached the Darwin area.

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/04/23/darwin_wideweb__470x311,0.jpg

[NNadir]

13. You didn't give us a link.

In connection with this hurricane, your friend Dr. Masters asks "What's going on with the weather?"

[phantom power]

14. oops, link is below:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/bunkered-down-top-end-braces-for-monicas-wallop/2006/04/23/1145730809340.html

[phantom power]

15. Hmmm... what *is* going on with the weather?

He still doesn't seem ready to admit a trend. Maybe because he can't explain what's actually happening. In the absence of a detailed theory, perhaps he feels that chalking it up to "outliers" is the best answer?

That is quite a striking satellite photo. Monica looks almost perfectly circular.