RELATED: SES, police advise: stay home
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THE DETAILS
Northern residents finally found a moment to breathe and mop up this afternoon, as the more-than-gale-force winds subsided.
Many homes were still without power as the sun set over Launceston.
Through its Twitter account, TasNetworks is updating customers on power outages around the state.
Many homes in Launceston are without power, with residents Tweeting and Facebooking that they are heading out for dinner.
At 4pm, TasNetworks estimated 13,200 customers in Launceston were/are without power on Thursday.
While the Bureau of Meteorolgy predicts that Thursday's wild weather is now expected to head South, Northern residents are still urged to remain vigilant.
SCHOOL CLOSURES
Power outages have caused the closure of many schools in the North today.
Ringarooma Primary School, Cressy High School, Meander Primary, Queechy High School at Norwood, and Northern Support School at Newstead, are all closed for the remainder of the day after power outages at 1900 properties.
Scottsdale Primary and High Schools are closed.
Westbury Primary School was closed this morning but re-opened after power was restored.
Flooded access roads are known to have shut some schools.
Many schools are expected to stay closed on Friday.
THURSDAY NIGHT'S FORECAST FOR LAUNCESTON
Winds are expected to hit 100k/m an hour again tonight.
Friday: 11 with possible showers. Winds are expected to ease from early on Friday.
FLOOD ALERTS
The Launceston City Council has advised residents in Hart Street at Newstead to remain on alert for rising floodwaters in the North Esk River in coming hours.
Flows in the North Esk River are predicted to peak late tonight at a height of 5 metres.
The Council has closed Henry Street and Hoblers Bridge Road, in conjunction with emergency services.
Hart Street homes are not expected to be afffected but there is a potential for yards and outbuildings to be inundated.
Property owners are advised to move items of value to upper floors and to secure any chemicals or fuel in backyard sheds and garages.
For assistance with sandbags, contact the SES on 132 500.
Council officers will doorknock the street on Thursday evening.
WHAT THE BOM SAYS:
A Flood Watch continues for all Northern river basins.
Active cold fronts will cross the State again on Thursday and Friday bringing additional moderate to locally heavy rainfall about the west and north of Tasmania.
Rainfall totals in the range of 20 to 65mm were observed in the 24 hours up to 9am Wednesday. Since 9am further widespread rainfall totals of 10 to 20mm have been recorded across much of the state with isolated higher totals of up to 35mm recorded in elevated areas of the Huon catchment. Additional falls of 20 to 60mm are likely to occur in the next 24 hours along the West and North of the state.
Catchments are saturated and significant stream and river rises have been observed during Tuesday along the north and west of the State and in the Huon River. Renewed river rises and localised flooding is likely to occur during today and on Thursday.
Moderate flood warnings are current for the North Esk and South Esk River basins. Minor flood warnings are current for the Huon and lower Meander rivers.
NORTHERN POWER OUTAGES: as of 10am
- In Launceston, 1600 customers in the St Leonards, Newstead and Norwood areas due to lines down in Newstead.
- George Town/Low Head area – 600 customers affected, crews are in attendance.
- 300 customers around Ringarooma, Forsyth Hill, Talawah and Trenah. This may take some time to restore and customers in this area should expect long delays.
- Glengarry, there are 300 customers affected
- 700 customers in the Pipers River areas
ROAD CLOSURES as of 5.30pm THURSDAY
NORTH:
- Crawfords Road, Exeter
- Rookery Road, Exeter
- Notley Hills Road, Tamar
- South Winkleigh Rd, Glengarry (500 metres from intersection of Glengarry Rd)
- Station Road, St Leonards – near Johnstons Road (flooded)
- Upper Esk Road, Matthina (at the Matthina Cross Roads)
- Matthina Plains Rd, Matthina (after 1st bridge from Upper Esk Rd intersection)
- Lehners Ridge Road, Pyengana
- Ansons Bay Causeway, Ansons Bay
- Sundridge Road, Cressy between Blackwood Creek Road and Poatina Highway
- Blackwood Creek Road, Blackwood Creek
- Saundridge Road, Cressy
- Dalrymple Road, Mount Direction (detour via Bullocks Hill Road)
- Oppossum Road, Norwood (Near Golf course)
- Opossum Road, King Meadows
- Tamar Crescent, Greens Beach
- Isis Road, Ross (between Macquarie and Auburn Rds)
- Bridgenorth Road, Bridgenorth (from TurkeyFarm Road)
- Tasman Highway, Scottsdale (Scottsdale side of sidling)
- Henry Street, Ravenswood
- Big Hill Road, Lefroy (from Bridport end)
- Bracknell Lane (from Liffey Road to Louisa Street)
- Pitts Lane (no access between Oaks Road and Liffey Road)
- Hobblers Bridge Road, Newstead (from Hart Street to Ravenswood Road)
WARNINGS
Marine Wind Warning Summary for Tasmania.
- Storm Force Wind Warning for the following area: South West Coast
- Gale Warning for the following areas: far North-West Coast, Central North Coast, Banks Strait and Franklin Sound, East of Flinders Island, Upper East Coast, Lower East Coast, South East Coast and Central West Coast
- Strong Wind Warning for the following areas: Derwent Estuary, Frederick Henry Bay and Norfolk Bay, Storm Bay and Channel
Small Craft Alert for the following areas: Central Plateau Lakes and South West Lakes
Flood Warning Summary
- Moderate flood warning for the North Esk River Basin
- Moderate flood warning for the South Esk River
- Minor flood warning for the Huon River
- Minor flood warning for the lower Meander River Basin
- Flood watch for all Northern River Basins
Severe Weather Warning for King Island, Furneaux Islands, North West Coast, Central North, North East, Western, Central Plateau, Midlands, East Coast, Upper Derwent Valley and South East forecast districts,
Warning to Sheep Graziers for King Island, North West Coast, Midlands, Central North, Upper Derwent Valley, South East, Furneaux Islands, East Coast and North East forecast districts,
Bush Walkers Weather Alert for Western and Central Plateau forecast districts.
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FloodSafe advice is available at www.ses.tas.gov.au
Road closure information is available at www.police.tas.gov.au
For emergency assistance call the SES on telephone number 132 500.
For life threatening situations, call 000 immediately.