Australia braces for fresh battering of Extreme Weather

[Pastor Dale Morgan]

*Perilous Times and Global Warming

Australia braces for fresh battering of Extreme Weather*

By staff writers

June 19, 2007 12:36pm

* Extreme weather conditions forecast for NSW
* Boat owners urged to stay off water
* Bushwalkers warned as six areas within national parks closed

SEVERE weather is expected to hit large parts of inland and coastal New
South Wales, including the already storm-battered Hunter region where a
grounded cargo ship is set to be pounded again by heavy seas.

Boat owners have been warned to stay off the water today as the extreme
conditions build while inland six national park areas have been closed
because of flood risks.

"The forecast is not good," NSW Maritime spokesman Neil Patchett said
today. "There are extreme conditions forecast, meaning there's no place
for people in small craft at all."

A third major storm front is forecast to hit the state from late today
and through tomorrow, when storm-force winds and seas rising to 7m are
expected to lash much of the NSW coast, from Smokey Cape on the
mid-north coast, to Moruya, on the far south coast.

Storm fury

Mr Patchett said gale-force winds also were expected in other coastal
areas and in enclosed waters.

"Warnings have gone out and vessels are seeking safety, and for large
vessels and ships that means standing further offshore and for smaller
recreational craft it means not going out at all," he said.

"With the forecast we have, people really shouldn't be out on the water
unless they've got an extremely good reason."

Mr Patchett said NSW Maritime was still in the process of checking
navigational markers which may have been dislodged or swept away during
this month's bout of storms.

The state's waterways also were littered with debris swept up during
inland flooding, posing further risks to boat owners, he said.

"NSW has taken a hammering over the last ten days,'' Mr Patchett said.
"There are quite a number of boats sunk or blown away from their
moorings and all of those issues will be playing out again over the next
24 hours."

The bulk carrier Pasha Bulker remains stuck on a sandbar at Nobbys
Beach, off Newcastle, after it ran aground during a major storm on June 8.

And the weather bureau has issued a small-boat alert for the Canberra lakes.

Gale-force winds have speeds of 63-75km/h. Storm-force winds are
stronger at 88-102km/h.

National parkland closed

Further inland, west of Sydney, six popular areas within national parks
in the Blue Mountains area, , have been closed because of bad weather,
the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service said today.

All six areas will be closed for at least 24 hours because of heavy rain
and strong winds.

The Glenbrook Creek causeway and access to the Euroka picnic area is
closed because of high water levels and wet conditions have closed the
Murphys Glen picnic and camping area at Woodford.

Burralow picnic area and camping area have been closed because of storm
damage.

The Wheeny Creek and Newnes Ruins camping grounds are also closed, as is
the Turon National Park.

In addition, bushwalkers have been advised to postpone all back country
travel until conditions improve.

Flood fears

Winds on the south coast, Illawarra, Sydney, Hunter, mid-north coast and
alpine areas of the southern tablelands, southwest slopes and ACT are
expected to average more than 65km/h. Peak wind gusts are expected to
exceed 90km/h.

Locally along the coastal fringe, winds could average in excess of
90km/h, with gusts in excess of 125km/h.

Blizzard conditions are expected to develop this afternoon or evening in
Alpine areas of the southern tablelands, south west slopes and the ACT
above 1200m.

Heavy rainfall leading to flash flooding is possible on the south coast,
particularly in the far south.

The weather bureau said while the rain was not expected to be as heavy
over the next couple of days, wind speeds in some areas could approach
100km/h.

"There will be gale-force winds about coastal parts especially Tuesday
night and Wednesday in the south and central coast of NSW," spokeswoman
Deryn Griffiths said.

"We're looking at not a large amount of rain compared to our last couple
of events, but there will be rain along the coast and snow up on the
ranges."

Emergency services has advised people to keep clear of fallen power
lines, stay indoors away from windows and keep children indoors.

For emergency help in floods and storms, ring the SES (NSW and ACT) on
telephone number 132 500.