Laurence will strike northwestern Australia on Monday with destructive windsand flooding.Laurence gained strength Sunday. It is expected to make landfall with Category3 winds. Gusts could reach 150 mph. Rain will trigger flash flooding asLaurence moves inland.
Severe Cyclone Laurence
By AccuWeather
December 21, 2009 at 1:25PM
This will be the second time Laurence has made landfall in Australia. More thana week ago, Laurence made its first landfall across north central Australia. Itstalled out south of Derby before moving back offshore.
Laurence will make landfall Monday morning Australia time on the "Eighty MileBeach." This is a stretch of coastline just east of Port Hedland. Laurence iscausing major disruptions to mining, as well as offshore oil and gasoperations.
Laurence will affect an area that is dry. Flash flooding is a major concern.
The "Eighty Mile Beach" averages only 12 inches of rain per year, but yearlytotals vary widely depending on tropical cyclones. In Port Hedland, forexample, a cyclone dropped 41 inches of rain in one day in 1942. However, in1944, only one inch or rain fell during the entire year.
Story by Accuweather.com Senior Meteorologist Dave Samuhel
