Keep Australia in your prayers the next few days

Back on the 18th of this month (January), this is what was happening out in the mid-pacific ocean: It started to move two days ago and is now on track for Australia's Northeast (the area already hit with the flooding). From the Sydney Morning Herald:

Cyclone Yasi may hit Cairns: forecasters
Severe tropical cyclone Yasi is on track for a direct hit on Cairns, forecasters say.

But with the cyclone not expected to make landfall until about 1am (AEST) on Thursday, that could still change.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Ann Farrell said the latest modelling showed a direct hit on Cairns was one of the more likely scenarios.

The latest tracking map, issued at 2pm (AEST), marks out the range of possible landfall sites, from as far north as Cooktown to as far south as Townsville.

It features a central track which Ms Farrell said was "one of the more likely tracks" - a line taking Yasi directly into Cairns.

Current sat image: It is not that these are unexpected events, they seem to manage one every five years or so but still, to have the flooding and then this is a bit much... Sunspot levels are still very very low -- below what was average during the Maunder Minimum (the little ice age). Science is settled? Not so fast...