Spirit of Tasmania cancelled as wild winds wreak havoc

[Pelican Press 0]

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Spirit of Tasmania cancelled as wild winds wreak havoc

Tasmanians have been warned to batten down the hatches and heed wild weather warnings as rare and dangerous winds batter Australia’s southeastern coast.

Severe winds and gale-force gusts are buffeting Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria, while Queensland is sweltering in near-record temperatures after the nation’s outback interior roasted during the week.

Gusts of up to 110km/h are likely in Tasmania, potentially reaching 125km/h in parts.

A 156km/h gust was recorded in the state’s northwest on Saturday morning.

On the south coast, Maatsuyker Island recorded a gust of 165km/h, about as strong as a category three tropical cyclone, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

As a result, the Spirit of Tasmania cancelled a scheduled trip from Devonport to Geelong on Saturday night.

Passengers were told they could board the vessel and stay onboard overnight then start their journey back to the mainland at 7.30am on Sunday.

The rare and dangerous winds were likely to increase over the next 12 hours, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff told reporters on Saturday afternoon.

He said 1500 properties were still without power, with more wild weather on the way.

“Please heed the warnings … we have extremely rare and dangerous winds, rising flood waters and 1500 Tasmanians without power,” he said.

“Please make informed decisions … in what could be a very dangerous next 24 hours”.

He thanked emergency services and power technicians who were working to protect and help those affected by the wild weather.

Flooding also ******** a danger after heavy rain in recent weeks.

Across the Bass Strait in Victoria, damaging winds continue in the south after power was restored to more than 20,000 customers in the state’s centre and west following destructive winds during the week.

In Queensland, winter has ended with unseasonably warm temperatures nearing 40C in the state’s west.

A top of 34C was forecast in Brisbane, nudging an August record 35.4C, but parts of the city could reach up to 36C.

Queensland recorded its hottest August day on Friday at Birdsville, near the SA border, with a top of 39.7C.

Warmer-than-usual temperatures are likely to continue around Australia in spring following above-average temperatures in winter, with August expected to have been the nation’s warmest on record.

Several heat records fell in the final week of the month including Australia’s hottest winter temperature – at Yampi Sound, northeast of Broome in WA.

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