Difference between Alby vs Bianca

Cyclones occur in many parts of the world especially in the Australian continent. They are considered one of the most destructive weather forces on earth, which is evident in the enormous damage to life and property they often leave in their wake. But for Australians who are used to experiencing it several times a year, there are some cyclones they will never forget.

One of the recent cyclones to hit West Australia is Bianca, with a category three classification that hit in January of 2011. While this is not the strongest one to hit the continent, it showed patterns very reminiscent of a very powerful cyclone in 1978 named Alby which claimed five lives and caused massive damage to the towns and cities that stood in its path.

The main reason for the comparison between Alby and Bianca is the path both cyclones took. According to weather experts and meteorologists, it is very rare for tropical cyclones to hit the southern region which made both Alby and Bianca extraordinary occurrences. However, the similarities stop there as both cyclones exhibited different behaviors as they made landfall.

Alby occurred earlier in 1978 which made it the benchmark for subsequent cyclones to hit the southern areas of Australia. Bianca came in thirty-three years later at the start of the year 2011. Alby was given a category four warning level, while Bianca was intercepted with a category three classification.

Under Australian cyclone threat detection classifications, a category three cyclone can have wind speeds from 170-225 kilometers per hour, which can cause damage to structures and power failures. Bianca was claimed as very dangerous but it did not match Alby’s category 4 warning, which had registered winds from 225-280 kilometers per hour. Needless to say, Alby made its mark in Australia’s cyclone history.

Another big difference recorded by experts with Alby’s features compared to Bianca’s was the lack of moisture or heavy rains. Instead, it had hot winds flowing, which caused fires in many parts of the region where Alby hit in 1978. Bianca, on the other hand, carried strong winds and rain.

One other disparity was observed by experts when comparing Alby with Bianca. The 1978 cyclone started off slow until it hit a cold front in the South-West regions. This caused it to accelerate more as it reached land, which contributed to the massive damage dealt to everything it came across. Bianca was recorded to travel with consistent speed typical of other cyclones, which meant barring any changes, it would slowly lose speed thus lessening its impact upon landfall.

Whatever differences these two monster cyclones had, only one thing is sure; they inflicted heavy damage and caused anxiety for all residents that stood in their respective paths. And as much as experts try to decipher how to detect them at the earliest time, cyclones will always come.

Summary:

1. Cyclone Alby hit in 1978, while cyclone Bianca came in 2011.
2. Alby was classified a category 4 cyclone, while Bianca was rated a category 3.
3. Alby carried hot winds with no rain, while Bianca contained strong winds with a lot of moisture.
4. Alby started slow and sped up as it hit land, while Bianca maintained its speed and slowed down upon landfall.

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