Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Cyclone Yasi Webcams - Live Online Webcam Feeds Cairns, Port Douglas, Mackay, Airlie Beach

Watch the progress of the imminent Cyclone Yasi with a range of webcam views in the Queensland area.

Online webcam views in Cairns, Green Island, Mackay, Airlie Beach (Whitsunday Islands and great Barrier Reef) and Port Douglas.


The impending Cyclone Yasi is category five storm, which is the highest tropical storm or hurricane alert level, and is expected make landfall on Wednesday night local time.

Port Douglas Webcam, North Queensland Coast Live Feed

Cyclone Yasi, a category five storm, is now expected to make landfall at the Queensland coast on Wednesday night local time (after 1200 GMT).

This live webcam feed is in Port Douglas, far north Queensland:

Port Douglas Webcam

Location Information:

Port Douglas is a town in Far North Queensland, Australia, approximately 70 km (40 mi) north of Cairns. Its permanent population was about 3000 residents in 2006. The town's population can often double, however, with the influx of tourists during the peak tourism season May-September. The town is named in honour of former Premier of Queensland, John Douglas. Port Douglas developed quickly based on the mining industry. Other parts of the area were established with timber cutting occurring in the area surrounding the Daintree River and with settlement starting to occur on lots around the Mossman River by 1880.

Previous names for the town included Terrigal, Island Point, Port Owen and Salisbury. The town is situated adjacent to two World Heritage areas, the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest.

Airlie Beach Webcam, Whitsunday Islands Queensland Live Feed

Queensland residents have been advised by the government that it is now too late to escape as the most dangerous tropical cyclone ever predicted to hit the state makes its final approach.

This live webcam feed is in Airlie Beach:

Airlie Beach webcam

Airlie Beach is one of many departure points for the Great Barrier Reef it usually takes about 2-3hours to get out to the reef from nearby Shute Harbour depending on ocean conditions. Near latitude 20 degrees south, Airlie Beach, Proserpine and the nearby Whitsunday Islands enjoy a tropical climate and lifestyle.

The Whitsunday Islands, named by James Cook in 1770 are a sailors' paradise. Cook named the islands as he believed he passed through the area on the Christian festival day of Whit Sunday. It is now widely accepted that he didn't actually pass through on this date, as he had failed to take into account the yet to be brought into existence International Date Line à la Phileas Fogg.

Each year the residents of Airlie Beach celebrate The Blessing of the Fleet on Whit Sunday or Pentecost Sunday. The Blessing was started by Father Keith Felgate.

Airlie Beach is a tourist destination, extremely popular with backpackers. Its beach is small and the sea is inhabited by marine stingers, the Irukandji jellyfish from November to May.

Cairns Webcam on the Queensland Coast, Cyclone Yasi Tropical Storm Live Feed

The impending Cyclone Yasi is category five storm, which is the highest tropical storm or hurricane alert level, and is expected make landfall on Wednesday night local time.

This live feed is on the coast at Cairns:

Cairns webcam feed

Cairns is located about 1,700 km (1,056 mi) from Brisbane, and about 2,420 km (1,504 mi) from Sydney by road. It is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate and proximity to many attractions. The Great Barrier Reef can be reached in less than an hour by boat. Daintree National Park and Cape Tribulation, about 130 km (81 mi) north of Cairns, are popular areas for experiencing a tropical rainforest. It also serves as a starting point for people wanting to explore Cooktown, Cape York Peninsula, and the Atherton Tableland.

Various parks and attractions take advantage of the city's natural surroundings. Among them are Rainforestation Nature Park, Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, and Kuranda Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, which extends for 7.5 km (4.7 mi) over World Heritage rainforest.

A notable feature of the Cairns esplanade is a swimming lagoon with adjoining barbecue areas. In May 2003, the then Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne declared that topless sunbathing is permitted here, as the area is a gathering point for people from around the world who may wish to do so. A boardwalk allows pedestrians and cyclists to move along the foreshore from the lagoon.