NASA Sees Large Tropical Cyclone Yasi Headed Toward Queensland, Australia

NASA's Terra satellite captured an image of Yasi on Jan. 30 at 23:20 UTC (6:20 p.m. EST/09:20 a.m., Monday, January 31 in Australia/Brisbane local time). Although the image did not reveal a visible eye, the storm appears to be well-formed and also appears to be strengthening.

Tropical Storm Anthony made landfall in Queensland, Australia this past weekend, and now the residents are watching a larger, more powerful cyclone headed their way. NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible image of the large Tropical Cyclone Yasi late yesterday as it makes its way west through the Coral Sea toward Queensland.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument that flies aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured an image of Cyclone Yasi on Jan. 30 at 23:20 UTC (6:20 p.m. EST/09:20 a.m., Monday, January 31 in Australia/Brisbane local time). Although the image did not reveal a visible eye, the storm appears to be well-formed and also appears to be strengthening.

Warnings and watches are already in effect throughout the Coral Sea. The Solomon Islands currently have a Tropical Cyclone warning for the provinces of Temotu, Rennell& Bellona, Makira and Guadalcanal. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has already posted a Tropical Cyclone Watch from Cooktown to Yeppoon and inland to between Georgetown and Moranbah in Queensland, Australia. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology expects damaging winds to develop in coastal and island communities between Cooktown and Yeppoon Wednesday morning, and inland areas on Wednesday afternoon. Updates from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology can be monitored at the Bureau's website at www.bom.gov.au.

On January 31 at 1500 UTC (10 a.m. EST/ 1:00 a.m. Tuesday February 1, 2011 in Australia/Brisbane local time), Tropical Cyclone Yasi had maximum sustained winds near 90 knots (103 mph/166 kmh). Yasi is a Category Two Cyclone on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.

It was centred about 875 miles E of Cairns, Australia, near 13.4 South latitude and 160.4 East longitude. It was moving west near 19 knots (22 mph/35 kmh). Cyclone-force winds extend out to 30 miles (48 km) from the centre.

Animated infrared satellite imagery, such as that from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) that flies on NASA's Aqua satellite, showed deep convective (thunderstorm) bands wrapping tighter into the low level circulation centre. Wrapping bands of thunderstorms indicate strengthening.

Yasi is forecast to move west then south-westward into an area of low vertical wind shear (strong wind shear can weaken a storm). Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) expect Yasi to continue strengthening over the next 36 hours. JTWC forecasts a landfall just south of Cairns as a large 100-plus knot (115 mph/185 kmh)n system by Wednesday. Residents along the Queensland coast should now be making preparations now for the storm's arrival.

What in the world is going on with the weather conditions in Australia over the past few weeks?

For starters, we have had the worst natural disasters in our entire history with the flooding of almost the entire East Coast. More particularly though, the greatest damage occurred in Queensland, one of the largest of the seven states of Australia. Now there is news emerging that Queensland is about to be hit with another natural disaster of gargantuan proportions that is possibly going to equate to the largest cyclone to ever hit the mainland of Australia.

Praise be to God for his imminent protection and for the keeping those who reside in the other states safe and sound. Even though I am not going to be personally effected, there are doubtless countless others of my fellow Australians who are right in the firing line of what could possibly be the double whammy of the flooding, and now this cyclone aptly named YASI.

There has been news appearing in the local media of other natural disasters taking place in other parts of the world, such as tsunamis, earthquakes, flooding, mudslides, and bushfires, but there is never ever been the instance of one huge natural disaster (the flooding) that is further compounded by yet another natural disaster before those who were affected by the first disaster have had the time to recover and clean up from the initial shock of the first disaster. Not that I am aware of at least?

As the premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh had said; what have we done that is so wrong over here that God is so mad at us over?

With all due respect to those going through these trials and tribulations, there is nothing those affected have necessarily done wrong at all; except possibly to turn away from God with the result now being they are suffering from the wrath of God as he pours his anger out on not only those who are directly affected, but the nation as a whole. We are all going to have to pay for this one way or another, not only in the short term, but in the long term as well.

There is still a very valuable lesson to be learnt out of all of this, and I hope and pray that not only those who are affected, but the nation as a whole wakes up to themselves and returns back to God by the repentance of their sins before it is too late.

There has been some talk of HAARP digitized weather control technology being the cause of the current crisis. However, those suggestions are nothing more than pure speculation at this stage, as there is nothing whatsoever to offer up as proof that this is the real cause of the current problems. Accordingly, it is best not to indulge in wild and unsubstantiated conspiracy theories at this stage.

Please pray for all of those who have been affected by the flooding and for those who have the potential to be affected by the cyclone in a couple of days. Those prayers would certainly be appreciated by those involved in these current and future natural disasters.