Mayor’s fury at late BOM storm warning
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has unloaded on the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and the timing of their storm warnings on Christmas night, as the tourist city was being lashed by one of the worst storms in years,
Residents were hit by a severe thunderstorm, complete with destructive winds, on Monday evening, leaving one woman dead.
But, speaking at a media conference on Wednesday, Mr Tate said he only received a warning on the BOM app at about 9pm for storms due to hit at 8.45pm.
Other residents got the same warning soon after, but by then it was too late.
“I think it’s unforgivable,” Mayor Tate said, claiming wind gusts of up to 160km/h in some areas made the storm more akin to a Category 2 cyclone.
“We will be talking to BOM about what’s going on regarding the warning because we can’t warn people … it’s not good enough.
“We’ve got to sort it so it doesn’t happen again.”
But a BOM spokesperson said warnings about the potential for Christmas night storms had gone out several times in the days leading up to the destructive weather event.
“The Bureau issued several severe thunderstorm warnings for destructive winds, giant hail and heavy rain throughout Monday 25 December for the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim (as well as for other areas of Queensland),” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“We also communicated the risk of severe weather impacting eastern Australia on Sunday 24 December and Friday 22 December.”
Queensland Premier Steven Miles defended the Bureau.
“I’ve always found the Bureau staff that I deal with are very professional and do their very best to use the information that’s available to them to provide those predictions,” Mr Miles said on Wednesday.
“They walk a fine line – often if they predict more than what occurs they get criticised and if they predict less than what occurs they get criticised.”
Mr Miles also said the “thoughts of all Queenslanders are with those families who are grieving right now,” as the death toll from severe weather in previous days rises to eight.
Nine-year-old Logan girl Mia Holland-McCormack, and three men aboard a boat that capsized off Green Island on Brisbane’s bayside are among those killed.
Of the three men aboard the boat, two were former Queensland rugby players David Logan and Stephen Tait.
