australian basin Severe Tropical Cyclone Lam

[Somerset Squall]

Indeed, winds now at 100kts, cat 3 on the SS scale, cat 4 Australian Scale. The core and associated convection has certainly tightened up over the last 24hrs. Best of luck to the people in the path of this dangerous cyclone.

[tropicbreeze]

It's fortunate in a way that Lam's been so close to land. TC Monica was in the same area but further out and became a high end cat 5 . The eye of Lam is beginning to cross the mainland coast now and will shortly be over Ramingining.

 

[Vorticity0123]

Tropical cyclone Lam has made landfall over Australia to the west of Gove Airport. The inner convection is still very well defined, but the eye has disappeared. Nevertheless, the system is forecast to continue producing excessive rain with possibly a risk of flooding as a result.

 

Satellite image of TC Lam.

 

TC Lam has not weakened that much after landfall as assessed by BOM, as it is still a category 4 hurricane (Australian scale), this is also shown by the well-defined inner core. Nevertheless, the cyclone is forecast to weaken rapidly while moving inland, but it could still be producing a lot of precipitation.

 

 

 

Sources:

http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/floaters/12P/12P_floater.html
http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/index.shtml

Edited February 19, 2015 by Vorticity0123

[tropicbreeze]

Lam has crossed the coast 15 kms east of Milingimbi and at this stage remains a cat 4 system. It's expected to fall below tropical cyclone intensity later today (Friday).


At 1800 UTC 20150219 central pressure 943 hPa, position South 12.3 East 134.9, movement south west at 5 knots, wind (10 minute) 95 knots, radius of maximum winds 10 nautical miles, radius of 64 knot winds 20 nautical miles

TROPICAL CYCLONE FORECAST TRACK MAP
Issued at 5:59 am CST Friday 20 February 2015.


Warruwi Radar 512 km 2042 UTC 20150219