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Downgraded Ului pushes southwest

Josh Fisher, Friday March 19, 2010 - 16:05 EDT

Tropical Cyclone Ului was downgraded to a category two storm Friday morning as it tracks ever so slowly towards Queensland.

Cyclones feed off of the warm sea surface temperatures in the tropical waters, but with the slow moving nature of Ului cooler waters are mixing in.

The cyclone has whipped up the seas, bringing some of the deeper, cooler waters to the surface. This has hindered the development process of Ului and has allowed it to weaken slightly with little risk of it re-intensifying.

The ominous spiraling cloud mass over the Coral Sea has now begun to pick up speed as it tracks southwest toward the Queensland coast. Recent scenarios have Ului crossing the coast between Cardwell and Mackay early on Sunday.

Due to this expected track a cyclone watch has been issued for coastal areas from Cardwell to Yeppoon, extending to the adjacent inland areas.

Even though the cyclone has been downgraded, people are still being urged to prepare. Category two cyclones can entail winds of around 90 to 120km/h, heavy rain and dangerous surf also leading to beach erosion.

After making landfall Cyclone Ului should quickly diminish but will continue to bring strong winds and heavy rain.

- Weatherzone

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