Watch the skies and land and oceans

[Gaby]

On the coronal mass ejections portion, the lasco c2

Activity right now is, relatively speaking, normal. Comet MAPS on its way though, 3 weeks to go. Like the Solar Astronomy Laboratory said: "a minor surge of activity not on the Sun, but in forums and chat rooms".

You all watch out for it, they'll say "The Sun, OMG!!!" for activity that is not unusual.

 

[Arwenn]

Flights in Sydney and Melbourne have been canceled due to wild weather, wind and heavy rain. Perisher and Thredbo (our ski fields) have received their first dump of snow months ahead of winter.

Once-in-50-year' weather phenomenon to batter Sydney as flights cancelled, massive swells build up

Flights in and out of Sydney Airport have been cancelled due to wild weather that has continued to blast NSW, with the conditions expected to run into the weekend in what has been touted as a once-in-50-year weather event.
The disruptions come as Sydneysiders are being warned to brace for more wild weather following last night's snap storm, which left thousands without power and brought public transport to a halt.
At least 50 domestic flights have now been cancelled or delayed due to the rough conditions, with some parts of the state, including Perisher and Thredbo, blanketed in snow months before expected.

By 10.30am today, at least 50 domestic flights scheduled to land had been cancelled, and 40 planned departures were also grounded.
Surf Life Saving chief executive Steven Pearce warned NSW is "going to see swells we haven't seen in decades up and down the coastline".
Pearce warned the state will be hit by somewhere between seven and 11 metres of swell, accompanied by winds of more than 100km/h.

"It really is going to be a hazardous and ferocious weekend for anyone going down near the coastline," he said.
The peak swell is expected tonight, with a damaging surf warning in place, which could bring erosion and flooding for coastal areas.

Those conditions are expected to ease by tomorrow morning, however the hazardous surf warning will remain in place for the rest of the day.
Pearce urged people to stay out of the water this weekend, warning the conditions are so rough that Surf Life Saving may not be able to use jetskis in some locations.
Some Sydney ferry services will also stop running after 8pm today due to the high swells.
Senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology Christie Johnston said yesterday's conditions brought strong winds, heavy rainfall and even hail in some parts of Sydney.
"That system has now moved offshore, and we are now expecting a very cold system behind it," she told Today.
"There could still be some severe storms today, but they are most likely to just produce damaging winds in south-eastern parts of NSW," she said.
"That is because of an offshore low-pressure system that is spitting up some very strong winds, some very large surf [and] some very big waves as well."
Temperatures across Sydney today are expected to reach highs of 21 degrees with 130km/h winds already being recorded across the city.

The State Emergency Service (SES) has said that damaging winds and large swell are expected to carry on throughout the entire weekend across most of the NSW coastline.
The SES responded to 591 incidents in 24 hours, mostly across Dubbo and Sydney's Northern Beaches after strong winds tore down trees, causing damage to homes and infrastructure.
"Even though the thunderstorms have passed, this system is now bringing a different set of risks with strong winds and dangerous surf expected right along the coast," NSW SES State Duty Commander, Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey said.
"We're asking people to stay indoors during strong winds, keep clear of trees and powerlines, and secure anything around their home that could become airborne."
SES responders were called to a street in Hornsby last night after a tree was ripped from its roots and damaged two homes.

Firefighters had to cut through branches of the fallen tree to rescue a person who was inside one of the homes the tree collapsed on.
"I didn't feel it was safe to stay [at the home] last night," a resident told 9News.
"But we had no choice."
Last night's wild conditions halted Metro services between Sydenham and Chatswood and left thousands without power across Sydney.
Transport around the city is now back up and running.

Melbourne feels the brunt of bitter cold snap

Sydney's wild weather is causing havoc for passengers on the ground in Melbourne, with more than 40 flights cancelled.
More than 20 Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar flights to Sydney from Melbourne have been cancelled, along with 20 arrivals.

Qantas is running additional flights tomorrow to accommodate passengers.
The unseasonably chilly conditions brought Victoria's first snowflakes, with the mercury plummeting below zero at Mt Hotham, bringing 15cm of fresh snow.
Conditions are expected to improve slightly tomorrow.
High winds and heavy rain has battered Melbourne over the last 24 hours, with more than 430 SES requests for assistance since midday yesterday.

SES Victoria received 25 calls about flooding, 80 for building damage and 275 reports of trees down.
Kilmore, Heidelberg, Moorabbin and Whittlesea were some of the worst hit areas.
The city peaked at 16.7 degrees today, with rain totals between 3mm and 11mm seen across Melbourne.
As much as 62mm of rain was dumped on parts of regional Gippsland since midnight.

Cyclone Narelle has made landfall in WA as a category 4 cyclone, after hitting both Queensland and the Northern Territory the past few days (but not as destructive in force).

Tropical Cyclone Narelle makes landfall south of Coral Bay after smashing WA's Pilbara coast

Tropical Cyclone Narelle has made landfall for the third time, crossing south of Coral Bay this afternoon as a category 3 storm.
The crossing came after the severe tropical cyclone pummelled parts of the West Australian coastline, ripping roofs from homes in Exmouth as it tracked south.
The historic system - which has already hit Queensland and the Northern Territorybefore sweeping out to sea and re-intensifying - was expected to impact an 800km stretch of coastline from the Pilbara down through the Gascoyne region today.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned the "very destructive core", which is generating wind gusts of up to 205km/h, is "moving south-southeast with severe impacts occurring on the northern Gascoyne and far western Pilbara coasts".
"Although Narelle is weakening, severe impacts at Carnarvon remain possible this afternoon as Narelle passes by to the east," it cautioned.
Narelle passed 30km to the west of Exmouth this morning as a category 4 system, and residents reported some homes have lost roofs.

West Australian Premier Roger Cook said it was a confronting situation for residents and emergency services.
"We know everyone in the north-west is made of tough stuff, but our thoughts are with you all," Cook said.
The severe weather system is sitting about 140 kilometres north of Carnarvon and is likely to severely impact the region before weakening.
"While the system is expected to slowly weaken as it moves overland between Coral Bay and Cape Cuvier, it is likely to still be a category three system as it moves just inland from Carnarvon and Shark Bay," meteorologist James Ashley said.

Department of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said there had been no reports of injury so far up until this afternoon.
"We've had 25 calls for assistance across the Pilbara, including 12 in Exmouth and 11 in the mid-west Gascoyne," Klemm said.
It will still be several hours before emergency services are able to fully assess the damage.
Bureau meteorologist Christie Johnson earlier said the system is expected to weaken as it moves past Carnarvon and Denham and approaches Kalbarri and Geraldton.

A warning zone extends west of Onslow to Jurien Bay, including Exmouth, Coral Bay, Carnarvon, Denham and Geraldton, and extending inland to Murchison and Dalwallinu.
"As it moves further south, it will weaken to a category 2 as it comes past Kalbarri and Geraldton, most likely becoming a category 1 as it moves inland of Dongara," Johnson said.
"After that, it will drop below tropical cyclone strength as it moves across the South West Land Division, eventually exiting Western Australia around tomorrow night. […]

WA food bowl's third hit​

Carnarvon, a town of roughly 5000 people, is forecast to be hit by a slightly downgraded but still powerful category 3 storm this afternoon or in the early evening.
If hit, it will be the third natural disaster the WA food bowl will have copped this year.
Growers have contended with a heatwave, as well as Cyclone Mitchell, which decimated crops last month.

Flights cancelled as 'once-in-50-year' weather phenomenon looms

www.9news.com.au

Could Cyclone Narelle come as far south as Perth?

Tropical Cyclone Narelle is now barrelling towards Western Australia. Could this unusual cyclone make it all the way to Perth, and how does climate change affect it?

www.abc.net.au

Tropical Cyclone Narelle smashes coast as it makes landfall in third state

www.9news.com.au