Cyclone Jacob heads for West Australia
Pastor Dale Morgan
Cyclone Jacob heads for West Australia*
March 09, 2007 04:23pm
Article from: AAP
AUSTRALIA - TOPICAL Cyclone Jacob has done an about face on its trek
towards Christmas Island and is now advancing towards the storm battered
West Australian coast.
Category two Jacob could cross the Pilbara coast on Sunday or Monday in
the same region that was battered overnight when category four Cyclone
George slammed into the state, causing at least two deaths and many
injuries.
Jacob was on a path for Christmas Island, near Indonesia, yesterday
before it turned towards the Australian mainland.
Weather bureau forecaster Tony Wedd said today the erratic cyclone could
reach the Pilbara coast on Sunday night if it continued its current path.
“It's not expected to affect WA in the next 48 hours,” Mr Wedd said.
Cyclone George was still causing widespread flooding in the Pilbara as
it headed for the mining town of Newman tonight, he said.
“That's the next population centre in its path, I expect they are well
and truly battened down by now.”
The tropical cyclone was still a category three storm despite travelling
over land for about 12 hours.
Mr Wedd said the cyclone was taking a long time to weaken because it was
travelling over relatively flat land and had been such a powerful storm
when it crossed the coast.
George was 170km north-northwest of Newman and 145km east-northeast of
Tom Price just after midday (WDT) it was moving southwest at 13km/h.