Friday’s sudden downpour in Queensland has caused raw sewage to spill into the Brisbane River at Toowong, Lytton, and Eagle Farm, at a rate of 5000 litres per second.
Government officials have inspected the spillages at Coronation Drive, Toowong. According to a statement released by Queensland Urban Utilities, 1.3 megalitres of sewage had poured into the river over a two-hour period.
The Bureau of Meteorology reports a bigger amount of rain near Eagle Farm for Friday night. This has caused the sewer pipes at Eagle Farm to be flooded forcing raw sewage into three locations along the Brisbane River.
A recently discovered electrical fault has also prevented the third pump from functioning properly, contributing to the facility’s inability to prevent the spills.
Residents affected by the sewage spill are upset by the electrical and pumping issues in the Eagle Farm sewage plant. In a region that is seasonally affected by cyclones, such as Cyclone Debbie which is currently hitting the northern part of Queensland, residents have cause for alarm. According to experts, even stronger cyclones may hit the island.
Cyclone Debbie a Bad Omen? Experts Take It as a Sign of More Menacing Cyclones Ahead
As #CycloneDebbie batters the north of Queensland, putting the residents in danger whilst fighting to survive nature’s fury, the whole world awaits for updates on the cyclone. Australian news networks and publications are tirelessly covering one of the most dangerous cyclones to hit the island.
Australia gets hit by roughly 11 cyclones per season, which runs from 1 November to 30 April. However, there has surprisingly only been 5 cyclones recorded and it’s almost the end of March.
The absence of cyclones this season has experts looking for answers, and what they have ominously discovered is that stronger cyclones are coming.
Why Fewer Cyclones are Expected
Professor Kevin Walsh of the University of Melbourne explains how cyclones work as per NewsMail. He said that for cyclones to form, it needs unequivocal atmospheric and ocean conditions. Sadly, the climate change has greatly affected such conditions, causing fewer cyclones around the world.
“Climate change is causing the upper troposphere to heat up even more, and so the atmosphere becomes more stable,” Walsh said.
Good news?
This may be a cause for celebration but for Australia, it seems there is really no reason to celebrate right now. Australia may experience lesser cyclones, but it is believed that the ones that will form are more intense and dangerous.
Walsh further added, “The thermodynamic conditions in the atmosphere are likely to be slightly more favourable for more intense storms. So, the most intense storms are likely to have great wind and storm surge impacts, including a substantial tendency for more rainfall.”
The global climate change is indeed a game-changer, intensifying the natural calamities all over the world.
For the residents of Toowong, Lytton and Eagle Farm, pro-active measures are a must, particularly because of the recent spillage of sewage into the Brisbane River from Eagle Farm. Timely action from the government is needed to eliminate the risk of flooding and the environmental issues that may crop up due to the raw sewage spill into Brisbane’s River system.
Photo credit: orderinchaos/Wikimedia Commons
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