Cyclone Ita is sweeping its way down the Far North Queensland coast right now, but it appears the region has dodged a bullet
Courier-Mail reporter Peter Michael captures the fury of Cyclone Ita in Cooktown.
CYCLONE Ita hit far north Queensland's coast with wind speeds of up to 200km an hour, before weakening to a category two storm. Refresh this page for regular updates.
6.30pm: Premier Campbell Newman asked residents to band together in the coming days and weeks as the recovery task begins.
"There's a large team of people just raring to go, to get into the affected areas to support you." he said.
"We all want to get there as soon as possible to help out, to put things back together, to clean up.
"But frankly this event is still occurring. This is still a cyclone, a tropical cyclone of category one and it does come with quite strong gale force winds and there are real difficulties currently with us getting in to certain areas.
"I ask that Queenslanders work together as a team to look after each other and to make sure that we get through this event.
"No one has been forgotten. We will get in there and make things right as soon as we can."
Campbell Newman has postponed a planned visit to Cooktown as strong winds make helicopter travel unsafe.
Mr Newman said Cyclone Ita was about 50 to 60km north of Cairns and was moving in a south-easterly direction on the edge of the coast.
"It will track down the coast, it's believed, as a tropical cyclone, category one, heading down all the way through to the Whitsundays and then it starts to head out into the ocean.
"What the weather bureau are telling us is that we can expect significant rainfall right down the coast. Falls of up to 300mm in locations can occur all the way down to Yeppoon near Rockhampton.
"That means we are going to see significant flooding of various coastal rivers and creek systems. It means that roads will be blocked and impassable for some hours and maybe even some days. It means there are significant hazards on those creek crossings and again I urge people to restrict their travel. The best way people can remain safe is to sit in their homes and wait this one out.
"I am advised that there could be a significant flood risk for Ingham."
He said about four buildings in Cooktown had been completely destroyed, four severely damaged, four moderately damaged and 42 with minor damage with about 320 people remaining in the cyclone shelter.
About 1300 customers are without power but the area has mobile services.
"The hospital and local shops appear to have only sustained minor damage," he said.
Mr Newman said authorities were having difficulties accessing the community of Hopevale with both power and the mobile service out.
"There are 30 to 40 trees across the road leading in and I understand residents… have started their own clean-up," he said.
"Compared to Cooktown it appears it has been less of a damaging event."
In Wujal Wujal about 350 customers are without power with the town isolated by flooded roads.
Mr Newman said the rain was causing problems in Cairns.
"In Kuranda we have seen significant damage to a house and moderate damage to three others due to trees coming down. In Mossman 10 to 15 homes have suffered flood damage. In Port Douglas there have been 25 to 30 residents isolated because of flooding," he said.
"Powerlines are down on the Captain Cook Highway. "
He said customers were also without power in Mossman and Port Douglas while about 400 customers are without power on the Tablelands and about 1400 customers without power in Atherton.
5.44pm: Premier Campbell Newman has announced the appointment of Inspector Kevin Gutteridge, who has been working on the mystery disappearance and then reappearance of toddler Chloe Campbell, as state disaster recovery coordinator to help the north recover from Cyclone Ita.
Mr Newman warned the state was not out of the woods just yet, however, with heavy falls of up to 300mm expected all the way down the coast as far as Yeppoon as the cyclone moved down the coast and out to sea.
There are 13,119 people without power across the northern tropics as electricity providers struggle to gain access to some areas.
As Tropical Cyclone Ita continues south, almost 7000 residents around Cairns have experienced power outages.
Meanwhile in Cooktown, 1600 people remain without power when services were disrupted last night.
Another 1100 around Kurranda – just outside Cairns – have also been in the dark since about midnight last night.
In a release issued this afternoon Ergon Energy said: "People should understand these power impacts could continue and we would expect further issues if current weather patterns and localised flooding continues."
In some areas, generators have been supplying power to hospitals, supermarkets and shelters.
5:00pm: Cyclone Ita was estimated to be 20 km south-southwest of Port Douglas and 45 km west northwest of Cairns, and moving south southeast at 11 kilometres per hour.
Tropical Cyclone Ita is forecast to move to the southeast during the next 24 hours, most likely close to or just offshore of the southern tropical and central coast, and is now expected to maintain tropical cyclone intensity.
4.48pm: Cooktown has cut their limited water supply altogether because people have been letting it wash down the drain while the rest of the town suffers.
The shire's mayor Peter Scott said they had been slowly connecting some residents to a small reservoir of available clean water until they were able to reconnect the town's main supply.
But some people had been using it to clean their driveways and wash their walls, so they were forced to cut the supply altogether.
"We can't reconnect people until we get the message out about water restrictions; we're on level three at the moment, but some people are either being silly or just don't know about it."
The main reservoir sits about 20km out of town, but authorities are currently unable to reach it because of bad conditions on the roads.
3.30pm: SMALLER Far North communities have emerged from Cyclone Ita better than expected, but serious flooding will leave many cut off for several days.
Laura Amateur Turf Club caretaker Len Davis said the tiny Cook Shire town and its several stores had escaped the storm with little to no structural damage overnight, describing the town's iconic Quinkan Hotel as "good as gold".
He said residents had used rope to tie down their rooves before fleeing their homes to take shelter in the Quinkan and Regional Cultural Centre to see out the worst of Ita last night.
Strong gales and heavy rain continues to batter Cooktown as locals assess the damage caused by cyclone Ita.
The town's turf club is also surprisingly "fine and dandy", he said, with no damage to the $1 million-worth of facilities and only several fallen branches.
But a swollen Laura River is wreaking havoc on the roads, cutting access to and from the town at the northern bridge, which Mr Davies said was flooding more than 2.6m over at midday today.
The town has received almost 140mm of rain between 9am Friday and midday today and it's still pouring, with Mr Davies saying he expected flooding of Rifle Creek at Mt Molloy and McLeod River just north of Mt Carbine as the day progressed, causing further grief.
Family of five rescued from floowaters near Cooktown. Pic: Ch 7 Source: CourierMail
Lakeland has been inundated with rain and Honey Dam spilled last night, cutting the main road out of town towards Cape York for at least the rest of today.
Access has also been cut to the town's biggest banana farm, Swiss Farms, where owner Peter Inderbitzin said almost 30 per cent of his banana trees had been knocked down and the ground was scattered with fallen fruit.
But he is grateful his farm hadn't worn more damage.
"We didn't quite reach our target for getting fruit packed away before it hit, but we've been lucky that most of what we missed is salvageable," he said.
He said he hoped to get a tractor through to the property on Monday to begin "some serious recovery" and several days of clean up "just to get picking started again".
The town itself had avoided any structural damage, he said, and nobody had been injured.
"There's a lot of debris floating around the streets, but nothing we can't handle," he said.
Further north, Rachel Nowlan from the Exchange Hotel, Coen, north west of Cape Melville, said it was likely the town "would be landlocked" and access to and from cut or restricted for up to a week due to a flooded Archer River in the north and flooded connection roads to the south.
She said Coen had become home to most of the Lama Lama indigenous people who lived in Port Stewart, east of Coen, after they were evacuated yesterday, and Coen had felt little effect from Ita minus rain this morning.
Communication has been cut to Hope Vale, with almost no news emerging from the small indigenous community north west of Cooktown since Ita struck the area last
Military helicopters are on standby to help residents in Queensland's cyclone-ravaged far north.
1.05pm: Eight bridges have now been flooded in northern parts of the state as flood waters continue to rise.
The Clohesy River at Bolton Road has been inundated the most, struggling below almost 7.2m of water.
Perhaps the most significant, however, is in the Daintree Village, where the Daintree River has swallowed the bridge under 6.65m of water and is continuing to rise quickly.
Other areas affected include the Mulgrave River – about 43km south of Cairns – which is covering bridges at The Fisheries by almost 2.8m and is still rising.
Myola – about 30km north of Cairns – has 1.4m of water covering bridges there and is also rising.
1pm: THE Cairns Airport is commencing limited operations in and out of Cairns this afternoon.
Different airlines will operate their own schedules, with Jetstar conducting limited operations from 1.50pm and Virgin operating one flight from Cairns to Brisbane at 5.55pm.
The airport is asking all passengers to contact their airlines directly to confirm their flight before attempting to travel to the airport.
Limited services are open inside the terminal.
All domestic and international flights are expected to return to normal through the course of the day tomorrow.
12.45pm: THERE are reports the Bruce Highway may be cut at Edmonton, with a hazard reported in all directions.
The Traffic and Travel Information group is reporting water over the road approximately 300m south of Petersen Road.
12.35pm: Cyclone Ita has been downgraded to a category one, but warnings for flooding and damaging winds remain in place.
Gusts of up to 120km/hr are expected in areas south of Cooktown to Port Douglas this afternoon, while gales of up 100km/hr could extend to places as far north as Cape Flattery and as far south as Cardwell.
Heavy rain continues to batter the coastal towns, with a flood warning issued from Cooktown to Cairns as the tide rises this afternoon.
The storm is expected to gradually contract as it moves southward over the weekend, before moving out to the Coral Sea early next week.
IN PICTURES: Queensland wakes up to Cyclone Ita damage
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LOCALISED flooding remains the biggest concern for Tableland residents who are awaiting Ita's arrival.
Mayor Rosa Lee Long said rainfall had been intermittent and most roads were currently open.
"We haven't really been getting that intensive rain but we're just waiting with anticipation to see what comes later this evening and tomorrow," she said.
"We believe that's when we'll get the heaviest rainfall."
Cr Lee Long said many businesses remained closed this morning and residents were taking every precaution.
"People are very well prepared as far as I can tell, they've cleaned up and tied down as much as they can," she said.
There have been no disruptions to communication channels or power supply on the Tableland and Cr Lee Long said it was unlikely a public shelter would open at this stage.
"We're just hanging in there and holding our breath, hoping it doesn't get any worse than it is," she said.
12.25pm: SINCE 10pm last night the SES have responded to 55 calls from help in far North Queensland.
In the 14 hours to midday, people have been calling for help with roof damage, fallen trees and other flood-related issues.
"QFES Swift Water Rescue technicians are ready to respond, with heavy rain which may lead to flash flooding expected across the State. QFES Rapid Damage Assessment teams are expected to assess directly affected communities early today to gauge the extent of damage," a spokeswoman said.
12.20pm: WINDS speeds could reach up to 100km/h in the Cairns region from this afternoon as Cyclone Ita continues to track down the coast.
Local Disaster Management Group chairman Councillor Steve Brain said while the system had been downgraded, the risk was not over and residents were advised to seek shelter.
"The Bureau advises gales could extend to Cairns later today and into the evening," he said.
"The region is already experiencing strong wind gusts, demonstrated by Ergon's decision to suspend operations.
"We could also have a further storm surge this evening.
"Right now, high wind speeds and heavy rains are combining to bring down trees and other debris and some roads in the city have been cut.
"Where possible, shelter in place and prepare your home for strong winds and continued heavy rain."
The Redlynch Public Storm Tide Cyclone Shelter remains open to residents living in red and orange storm tide inundation areas.
12pm: A family has had a narrow escape this morning when they were rescued from flood waters 10km south of Cooktown.
State Emergency Services were called out at 10am to rescue two adults and three children from a vehicle along the Mulligan Highway.
The incident occurred at the Little Annan and Keatings River crossing.
All occupants escaped safely.
11.50am: RESIDENTS in low-lying areas have been advised to prepare their homes after the Cairns region recorded 100mm to 200mm of rain in the last 24 hours.
Similar rainfall is predicted through to midnight and there are flood warnings current for the major catchments.
Cairns Regional Council has urged residents in low-lying areas to monitor flood reports from the Bureau of Meteorology and prepare their homes accordingly.
People are advised not to enter flood waters, by foot or vehicle.
For advice and assistance, contact the Disaster Coordination Centre on 4044 3377.
11.45am: Premier Campbell Newman said Cyclone Ita continues to be a "threat to Queensland" as heavy rainfall leads to river surges.
The town of Hope Vale is still cut off from authorities with mobile and landline communication down and police radios the only contact.
"It does give me some concerns this morning because there are no direct phone communications," Mr Newman said.
He said there were 950 customers in Hope Vale without power and 300 people still sheltering in the evacuation centre.
"We would hope those people can go home soon because there are at this stage there are only reports of minimal damage around town but that has to be confirmed," he said.
In Cooktown, 320 people remain in the cyclone shelter with 700 customers without power.
Mr Newman said there was "minimal damage" to the hospital and local shops but the roof of the West Coast Hotel had been torn off.
There is mobile phone service in Cooktown.
In the small town of Wujal wujal, about 70km south of Cooktown, 255 customers are without powers and the town is isolated to the north and south.
Mr Newman said that in Cairns over 1000 customers are without power in Mossman and surrounding areas and 440 customers in Port Douglas are without power.
There are no reports of damage in Mareeba but 400 customers are without power.
"This is time to stay put. This is a time to wait until the event has passed properly and the rivers and creeks have returned to normal and you can safely go about your business."
"We urge people to stay away from fallen power lines. They are totally lethal you should contact Ergon and let them know."
"I am greatly relieved at this time that we've had no reports of either death or injury, let's keep it that way. I urge people again to play it safe stay at home stay in shelter until this is properly over."
Roof torn from home in Cooktown. Picture: Peter Michael Source: CourierMail
Mr Newman urged people in small communities to contact authorities if they needed help and felt they were being overlooked.
"We won't forget you but we may not have heard there is problem there yet."
"The biggest challenge right now, I believe, is to balance the safety of people who have to go in and start restoring vital services with the obvious desires of the communities to get on with things," he said.
A hotel in Cooktown and three other properties, including a police building, were ripped apart by the cyclone overnight, Mr Newman said.
"I'm sure it would have been very terrifying for those who had to sit through it in Cooktown, Hope Vale last night."
Mr Newman said he intended to travel to Cooktown this afternoon if it was safe to so.
Acting assistant commissioner for Far North Queensland Paul Taylor said police would be monitoring rainfall carefully to assess whether homes could be flooded.
"The event is tracking south so from a disaster management perspective we will continue to monitor the impact of the rainfall particularly in those catchment areas which we know have in the past created either roadblocks or in some cases have the capacity to inundate some urban areas."
He said five police officers stationed in Cooktown have been communicating via police radios with authorities outside the town.
"It's not ideal communications... we have ascertained that… there is no major damage, obviously we would like to talk to them more," he said.
11.25am: The Daintree River will break its banks, with rains from Cyclone Ita about to cause an "extreme flooding event" over the next few hours.
The Douglas Shire Council is warning the town of Daintree will soon be surrounded by water, with the flooding event set to take place over the next few hours.
Residents are being urged to stay off the roads, with State Emergency Services crews already called to rescue a woman in Finlayson who drove through floodwaters and became stranded.
Volunteers used inflatable rescue boats to get to the woman.
Douglas Local Disaster Management Group co-ordinator Paul Hoye said the Daintree flood would exceed levels seen in 1996, a record breaking event that swamped roads and properties across the district.
Up to 20 properties could go under on the southern edge of the river, the group has warned.
"We need people to stay off the roads," Mr Hoye said.
"Roads are flooded and powerlines are down. There has already been one rescue so we would urge people to stay off the roads."
The road north of the Daintree River to Cape Tribulation is cut in multiple locations with the Douglas Shire Council warning they will not attempt any cleanup activity until after the cyclone threat has passed.
The town of Mossman has been cut off as water rises over bridges. The Foxton Bridge, north of the town, is more than a metre under water.
SES volunteers were this morning working to remove a fallen tree from the Captain Cook Hwy, south of the Mossman township, that took down powerlines.
But water in a creek just metres away was rising and will soon block the road they were working to clear.
The Douglas Shire Council has reported flooding in North Mossman and Mowbray.
Mossman, Cooya and Miallo are all without power, affecting more than 12,000 properties.
The roof of the West Coast Hotel after being peeled off during the night. Source: CourierMail
11.20am: While the northern tropical coast has survived the night largely intact, the battle now turns to managing rising flood waters.
The Daintree River at Daintree Village – about 55km north of Port Douglas – has currently risen to 9.5m and is continuing to rise fast.
Classed as a major flood hazard, waters are now 5.8m over the bridge crossing.
Further south, Clohesy River – about 40km west of Cooktown – is at 6.12m above the bridge at Bolton Rd and is also rising.
Most areas along the tropical coast have received between 100-300mm of rain in the past 24 hours, but Battle Creek managed to top that with 317mm.
10.50am: Numerous roads in Cairns have been closed because of fallen trees.
The Gillies, Kuranda and Rex Ranges are closed and there are also delays on the Captain Cook Highway about 1km north of Ellis Beach due to a dislodged boulder that has fallen on the road.
Police have urged motorists to avoid unnecessary travel.
Cairns starts to feel affects of Cyclone Ita as the system moves south as a category 2.
10am: Hundreds of cyclone refugees are returning home to witness firsthand the impact of Cyclone Ita.
"We don't know what is in store for us," said Tim Wilkin.
"Locked inside all night listening to it pass overhead was tough.
"It's the not knowing that was hardest."
More than 300 Cooktown residents crammed into the category-five rated shelter overnight.
WATCH VIDEO OF RESIDENTS LEAVING SHELTER
9.15am: Cooktown is isolated with the main highway and lifeline south cut by flooding.
The Big Annan and Little Annan bridges are underwater as a huge torrent floods out of the upper catchment.
Evacuees in lock down in the cyclone shelter are likely be let out in the next hour to return home to survey the damage.
Hope Vale is without power, road access or telecommunications.
But early reports by police radio reveal low level structural damage in the cyclone's impact.
Cooktown Mayor Peter Scott said his shire, almost the size of Victoria, had dodged a bullet.
Early reports indicate damage to "dozens" of homes and buildings.
"People need to take a big breath today," he said.
"I'm astounded we did not cop more damage by the sheer number and size of the trees down.
"It might be a day, maybe longer, before power is back."
Pictures from Cooktown as dawn breaks. A house demolished next to historic James Cook Museum. Picture: Peter Michael. Source: CourierMail
8.35am: PORT Douglas is bracing for wind gusts of up to110km/h with a cyclone warning remaining in place.
The soaked town has endured hours of heavy rain - with more yet to come - but this morning's high tide does not appear to have reached any low lying properties.
The Douglas Shire Council has warned residents to stay indoors if winds reach more than 80km/h.
8.30am: A cyclone warning remains in place from Cape Flattery to Cardwell, including Cooktown, Port Douglas and Cairns and inland to Mareeba and Chillagoe.
A cyclone warning from Cape Melville to Cape Flattery has been cancelled.
As of 8am the cyclone was 55km south southwest of Cooktown and 135km northwest of Cairns and moving at 10km/h.
The bureau predicts that in the eye of the cyclone wind gusts have reached 130km/h.
These destructive winds may affect south of Cooktown to Port Douglas "for a brief period" this morning.
While wind gusts of 110km/h are possible south and Cairns and nearby islands today, in Mareeba this afternoon and possible Innisfail, Chillagoe and Cardwell tonight.
IN PICTURES: Queensland wakes up to Cyclone Ita damage
8.30am: PROPERTIES just south of Cooktown are battling flooding, with one resident describing the water as "a sea".
Lions Den Hotel worker Lyn Costello, who spent the night alone in the pub about 26km south of Cooktown next to the Little Annan River, said water was everywhere.
"I can't go outside," she said.
"We're flooded - the water is up to the Safari tents.
"The pub survived, thank goodness, there's just trees down everywhere.
"The water is just a sea - it is up almost to the gate of the Lions Den.
"There is just water everywhere. I've lost everything.
"I lived in a tent and all my belongings are in that tent and the only thing I brought up was a picture of my grandchildren.
"There's just water everywhere - I can't believe it.
"Next door there's a man's tractor and it's almost covered - in his paddock."
She said she was safe, but the wind was worse now than last night.
"There are massive trees down, they have fallen everywhere, all in the Safari tents" she said.
8.15am: There are now at least 7000 people without power across far north Queensland, according to Ergon Energy.
They said crews were "still sheltering from the effects" of Ita in some areas, but had been able to isolate "one section of damaged network" near the Barron river early this morning.
Ergon is also warning of further power interruptions as the cyclone tracks inland.
"Information from Ergon's control centre in North Queensland indicates a number of sections of network impacted overnight from Tropical Cyclone Ita," an Ergon spokesman said.
"We have also taken a number of emergency calls regarding fallen powerlines or other damage to powerlines, but indications so far do not point to huge impacts on the network."
"The full extent of damage of course will not be known until full patrols are complete, and estimates for restoration are not possible at this time," the spokesman said.
They said crews were expected to begin assessing network damage this morning, "where it is safe to do so".
8.10am: Families are evacuating as the flooded Endeavour River broke its banks under Cyclone Ita.
Les Treloar carried his child to safety with floodwaters swamping his riverside home.
"It's coming up fast," he said.
"Time for us to get out in a hurry."
7.15am: PREMIER Campbell Newman said heavy rainfall is the biggest threat that Cyclone Ita poses this morning and it was too early to say how the damage will compare to Cyclone Yasi.
"The big threat will be for heavy rain and it's a case that this cyclone is now going to track down inland from the coast and it could dump a fair bit of rain in certain catchments so we're worried about people getting caught in floodwaters on those low lying bridges or causeways so if it's flooded forget it," Mr Newman told the Today Show.
"We've really got to this morning assess how swiftly we can get the power and telecommunications back on into these communities. Both Hopevale and Cooktown lost power last night and also mobile phone (reception) has intermittently gone out. There are landlines working further north up the Cape which is good news because it might mean it will be easier to put the… landlines but into those communities ."
Mr Newman said the extent of damage was unknown.
"I hate to even reflect on that (how it compares to Yasi) until we know everyone is safe and sound. There will be a lot of damaged potentially to people's property and I'm very conscious of a very important banana planation for the aboriginal community of Hopeful and I just really hope that hasn't been completely wiped out," Mr Newman said.
Cooktown residents will assesses damage caused by Cyclone Ita after it ripped through the town last night.
Mr Newman urged tourists to register with Red Cross to ensure family members from overseas and interstate know they are safe.
They can call 1800 100 188.
There is a major flood warning for the Daintree River with 306mm falling at Bairds from 9am Friday to 6am today.
A minor flood warning is in place for the Balonne, Mulgrave and Tully rivers.
Cyclone Ita is currently south-west of Cooktown and is moving 11km/h and will continue to track in a southerly direction over the next 12 hours.
The bureau expects the cyclone to drop to a Category 1 by this evening when it hits Mareeba.
Cooktown local Michael Czarnecki, 32, said residents are 'breathing a sigh of relief' as they wake up to assess the damage in their town.
"There is no structural damage in the low lying areas here there is a lot of vegetation damage opposite where I live which backs onto a hill."
"The consensus around town, well obviously there is some major damage that everyone is concerned about but individual residents are breathing a sigh of relief. With the slow downgrading as it passed through and the track it ended up taking it made it a lot easier to deal with," Mr Czarnecki said.
He said there was "substantial power loss and powerline damage" in the town.
"Everyone needs to be aware and treat everything as being live at this point of time."
Mr Czarnecki said as the cyclone passed over Cooktown during the night winds and rainfall weren't too severe.
"I got three kids with me and my wife and it certainly didn't both them as much as I thought it would. The house was hustling and bustling for a couple of hours but it certainly wasn't too bad."
IN PICTURES: Queensland wakes up to Cyclone Ita damage
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6.40am: Emergency services have received about 93 calls for help between 5am Friday and 5am Saturday, including requests for sandbag assistance.
"There is very limited information at the moment," a spokeswoman from the Department of Community Safety said.
"We are waiting to see what happens."
6.30am: The West Coast Hotel in Cooktown has been unroofed and peeled open like a sardine can.
Built in 1873, the hotel bore the brunt of Cyclone Ita.
Vehicles are trapped underneath the tin roofing. Streets are littered with glass and shards of timber.
6am: Ergon Energy said there were almost 5000 customers currently without power in far north Queensland.
This included properties in Hope Vale, Cooktown, Mossman and the Kuranda Range.
Ergon Energy spokesman Mark Timmerman said restoration efforts were being hampered by the weather.
"It's locked down. The assessment will be made at first light, whether it is safe enough to do patrols," he said.
"We don't know the exact cause of most of those pockets of interruptions.
He said the control centre was continuing to monitor the cyclone and urged customers without power to "sit tight".
"We are aware of areas where we have problems. The number of emergency calls we've had through overnight and through this time has been relatively low," he said.
"It would appear that at this time we don't have catastrophic issues on our network but we certainly have that nearly 5,000."
"The damage is real, the cause (of most of the pockets) is unknown."
4.48am: Cooktown is still inside the wall of destructive winds as the core of Cyclone Ita passes just to the west of the settlement.
As dawn nears, there are reports vehicles have been flipped, homes demolished and roofing torn off.
Severe tropical cyclone Ita has weakened slightly after crossing the far north Queensland coast.
Flying steel has been a hazard with one couple in Hope Vale reportedly lucky to be alive. They had a narrow miss from a flying steel pylon.
Cyclone Ita is moving south towards Mareeba with Port Douglas expected to experience cyclonic winds early this morning.
4.15am: As of 4am, Ita was approximately 20km west southwest of Cooktown and 170km north northwest of Cairns, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
It was moving south southwest at 11km/hr.
The cyclone warning is current for coastal areas from Cape Melville to Cardwell, including Cooktown, Port Douglas and Cairns, and extending inland to places including Laura, Mareeba and Chillagoe.
3.46am: AS Ita tracks south, the Bureau of Meteorology is warning fierce winds of 150km/h are possible between Cape Melville and Cape Tribulation this morning.
It said destructive gusts of up to 130km/h may develop as far south as Port Douglas later in the morning.
"Gales may extend to adjacent inland areas including Laura and south to Cairns and Mareeba during the day and possible as far south as Innisfail, Chillagoe and Cardwell this evening," the warning said.
It comes in the face of a predicted storm surge. Coastal residents between Cooktown and Cairns, including Port Douglas, are warned the sea is likely to rise to a "level well above the normal high tide," which may flood low-lying areas.
"Very heavy rain, which may lead to flash flooding, is occurring about parts of the Peninsula and North Tropical Coast and Tablelands districts and should gradually contract southwards with the system over the weekend," the warning added.
Residents in the path of the cyclone between Cape Melville and Cooktown are urged to remain calm and stay in a secure shelter above the expected water level.
People elsewhere between Cape Melville and Cardwell, and inland areas including Laura, Mareeba and Chillagoe, should be prepared to shelter in a safe place, the Bureau said.
3.12am: Cyclone Ita has been downgraded to a Category 2 as it tracks south southwest.
At 3am, it was estimated to be 15km west of Cooktown and 175km north northwest of Cairns.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the system was travelling at 11km/hr.
"Tropical Cyclone Ita, Category 2, is weakening as it moves south southwest inland from Cooktown having crossed the coast near Cape Flattery at 10pm," the advice said.
2.45am: Tropical Cyclone Ita has dumped more than 135mm of rain on Cooktown since 9am yesterday.
As of 2.34am, figures from the Bureau of Meteorology showed the hamlet has recorded 135.6mm of rain.
Elsewhere, Cairns Racecourse has received 28.2mm since 9am yesterday.
The latest reading for Cape Flattery was at 10pm. It had recorded 78mm of rain.
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2.16am: Cook Shire Deputy Mayor Penny Johnson said the Cooktown emergency centre, which had filled with more than 300 people, was "very quiet".
"Everyone is quietly sleeping and resting, just seeing how it all progresses," she said.
"You could certainly hear the wind (when the cyclone hit)… The noise was a bit louder.
"We can hear a fair bit of rain coming down now."
She said residents are bracing for the damage to be revealed when dawn breaks.
"People are prepared for repairs. They are very resilient group up here in Cooktown and when the chips are down everyone pulls together," she said.
"This will be no exception."
She said one woman had already been told her shed was no longer there.
"As she said, thankfully it wasn't the house," Cr Johnson said.
2am: Port Douglas is experiencing heavy wind and rain as the rapidly weakening cyclone moves closer from the north.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the likely reason that tropical cyclone Ita weakened so quickly was because it has a "double eye wall structure".
According to the technical bulletin issued by the Brisbane Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre early Saturday morning, Ita "has a double eye wall structure, which is the likely mechanism for the weakening trend in the past 12-18 hours".
"Being such a compact system without banding features also has made Ita susceptible to weakening," the bulletin said.
"More rapid weakening is forecast as Ita tracks to the south southwest over rough terrain just inland from the coast."
"The system should weaken below cyclone intensity overnight Saturday night although strong winds are possible about the coast."
Forecaster Andrew Busalino said tropical cyclone Ita was predicted to weaken further as it tracked south because of the terrain.
Mr Busalino predicted Cyclone Ita could deteriorate to a Category 2 system by 7am, and Category 1 by midday Saturday.
12.35am: Torrential rain is hammering the Far North Queensland coast and is expected to get heavier.
At 12am Cooktown had already recorded 118mm and Jarra Creek 104mm, northwest of Cairns has received 40mm and the Copperlode Damn 78mm.
It is likely Cape Flattery received some of the heaviest rain but nothing has been recorded since the observation site stopped responding at 10pm.
Bureau of Meteorology weather forecaster Andrew Bufalino said rain will increase throughout the night.
12.10am: Severe tropical cyclone Ita weakened slightly after crossing the far north Queensland coast but still has very destructive winds with gusts up to 205km/h near its centre.
Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) forecaster Andrew Busalino said high winds and heavy rain were still expected after the cyclone crossed the coast near Cape Flattery at about 9pm (AEST), with winds up to 230km/h.
``At 11pm Ita was downgraded to category three, which is quite expected as it loses its moisture source (over land),'' he told AAP.
``But we are still expecting severe conditions, with wind gusts above 200km/h.''
Mr Busalino said Ita had been tracking south/south-west but is now showing signs it could take a more southerly track early on Saturday.
11.40pm: THE Bureau of Meteorology has downgraded Cyclone Ita to a Category 3 system, two hours after it made landfall near Cape Flattery.
As of 11pm the cyclone was around 45km north of Cooktown and 215km north north west of Cairns, moving down the coast around 12km/h.
Winds up to 205km/h are still being recorded near the core of the cyclone, with gales extending 140km from its centre.
Hundreds of Cooktown residents are secured in the emergency shelter at the town's Events Centre, bracing for the brunt of the system to wash over them in the next few hours.
Deputy Mayor Penny Johnson said there had been reports of roofs off in the town, falling trees, and a shed destroyed, but the worst was yet to come."We've got horizontal winds and seriously bending trees that we can see through the events centre," she said.
"The worst of it is probably yet to come, particularly with the clean up."
Despite that she said the people of Cooktown were resilient and the mood inside the emergency shelter was "calm, sensible and orderly".
Cooktown Motel owner Scott Orchard said while the storm had already torn down trees it was impossible to tell the extent of the damage.
"It's windy, there's a lot of trees down and all that jazz, but it hasn't really hit just yet," he said.
South of Cooktown, Lions Den Hotel staff member Lyn Costello said the weather was getting a "bit rough", but was expecting the wind to pick up in the coming hours.
"It's raining and it's windy but we've still got power and we've had no big branches come down," she said.
"We've had just bits and pieces just falling down but no big branches. We think it will come down later on in the night."
Further west at Laura, emergency organiser and store owner Harold Tavner said the town was experiencing steady rain and had been bracing for the impact of the cyclone, but it was "very good" to hear the system had been downgraded.
He said most of the townspeople had stayed put on their properties, although a number were hunkering down in the town's emergency shelter.
"They're mainly in their homes. There were 15 where we've got designated as the shelter," he said.
11.16pm: Cooktown man, Clinton, reported flying debris as winds picked up around his home.
``It's like a white-out,'' he told the ABC.
Brad, of Bloomfield, near Cooktown, has used Twitter to spread the word about Ita on Friday night.
``Did I say it was windy before? Well ... it has risen a few levels in a few minutes. Big rain. Big wind.''
Long time Cooktown resident Roy McGeffie waits out the arrival of Cyclone Ita in the 'middle pub' - the West Coast Hotel. Source: Supplied
10.51pm: Howling winds are battering Cooktown as severe tropical cyclone Ita crosses the far north Queensland coast, a resident says.
Russell Bowman, who owns a local fishing tackle shop, opted to stay with his family and pets in his house.
``It's very very gusty now. I guess the next hour or two will be the real tell. There are some big gusts blasting through and there's sweeping rain with the wind now,'' he told the ABC.
``I've seen some comments on social media that there are some trees down and some roofs gone as well but we've heard nothing just near to us to indicate anything.
``We're in a little bit of a hollow here so we are just tucked down and waiting.
``I'm sure we're going to wake up to quite a bit of devastation in the morning.''
The storm is intensifying, with trees being stripped of their leaves and debris picked up in the wind, Mr Bowman said.
``The wind is just starting to really howl at the moment. I think that we are starting to see the effects of the cyclone now.''
Power was cut about 9.30pm, he said, but his shop has a back-up generator and the family could relocate there once the threat of storm surge has passed.
10.45pm: Cyclone Ita is expected to be downgraded to a Category 3 cyclone in the next few hours as it travels down the Queensland coast.
Bureau of Meteorology weather forecaster Andrew Bufalino said the Category 4 cyclone had now crossed onto the Australian landmass and would lose intensity as it came off the ocean and into contact with higher ground.
"It definitely should be an easing trend over the next couple of hours," he said.
"I wouldn't be surprised if it starts to lose intensity quite rapidly over the next couple of hours."
He said there was a "slight chance" of storm tide along the coast from Cape Tribulation to Cairns, including Port Douglas, which could produce flooding along the foreshore.
Heavy rain pelts down in Cooktown around 8.30pm Friday. Source: News Corp Australia
But locals have been left somewhat relieved the storm's projected path should no longer see it pass directly over the tourist haven.
10pm: Wind has torn the roofs off a museum and a house in Cooktown as Cyclone Ita makes its way down the Queensland coast.
Cook Shire Deputy Mayor Penny Johnson said winds were beginning to pick up, bringing down power lines and causing damage to a number of properties.
"We've had reports of some damage to a couple of local homes and also the James Cook Museum," she said.
Cr Johnson said museum staff had made preparations for the cyclone over the past few days to protect as much of the collection as possible, which includes the anchor and cannon from the HMS Endeavour.
But Cr Johnson said the atmosphere in the town's emergency centre was peaceful in comparison to the storm raging outside, and many children had already gone to sleep.
"Everyone seems fairly calm and subdued. I guess the reality will hit tomorrow when the first inspections are done and the assessments are made of the amount of damage that's been sustained," she said.
9.50pm: Cooktown has been left in the dark by Cyclone Ita's destructive forces, with many of homes now without power.
A spokesperson from Ergon energy said about 1800 customers had been without the power since 9pm tonight.
Power is unlikely to be returned as wild weather keeps crews away overnight.
9.15pm: Cyclone Ita has hit far north Queensland's coast with wind speeds of more than 200 kilometres an hour.
The category four cyclone's eye crossed Cape Flattery, more than 300km north of Cairns, around 9pm and will gradully track southwards.
Gales extend 185 kilometres from the centre and powerful wind gusts of more than 125km/h are expected to develop between Cape Melville and Cooktown and reach as far south as Port Douglas by Saturday morning.
There's a possibility that Ita could track south close to the coast, bringing wind gusts of 150km/h to Cairns tomorrow.
Coastal residents between Cape Flattery and Cape Tribulation, including Cooktown, are being warned of the dangerous storm tide.
``The sea is likely to rise steadily up to a level which will be significantly above the normal tide, with damaging waves, strong currents and flooding of low-lying areas extending some way inland,'' the bureau says.
8.45pm: Local disaster management officials have closed the storm tide shelter at Edmonton, south of Cairns, following the downgrading of Cyclone Ita to a category 4.
People who have sought refuge at the facility will be transferred to the Redlynch shelter.
8.30pm: Wind gusts are now reaching 154km/h at Cape Flattery as Cyclone Ita bears down on the Queensland coast.
The Category 4 system is estimated to be 80km north northeast of Cooktown and 240 km north of Cairns, moving at around 11km/h.
Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott told The Courier-Mail strong winds had torn the roof off at least one house in Cooktown, with the couple inside taking refuge in the town's emergency shelter as weather intensifies.
8.10pm: Homes have reportedly been flattened and an elderly lady compulsorily evacuated from her home during the early onslaught of Cyclone Ita.
Cooktown is in lockdown as winds exceeding 120km/h lash the far north township.
At least one house has lost a roof and another was demolished as the tempest approaches.
Police said one elderly woman was taken from her home after it was damaged.
The winds and rains from Cyclone Ita build on the deserted main street of Cooktown. Source: News Corp Australia
The callers offer to visit residents' homes, bag their belongings and store them in a safe and dry shed.
When the occupant asks for further information, including which SES group they are from and their name, the caller hangs up.
Police have been advised.
Premier Campbell Newman said he was aware of the reports and urged everyone to ignore the calls.
"If you pull stunts like that we will track you down and you will be in a lot of trouble," he said.
7.45pm: CYCLONE Ita is expected to pass further inland than originally expected, with the Bureau of Meteorology revising the projected path of the system westward in the latest modelling.
The Bureau is now expecting the cyclone to head southward, further west of Mareeba tomorrow night before leaving the state as a tropical low to the south of Cardwell on Sunday morning.
BOM senior forecaster Pradeep Singh said Port Douglas was on the edge of the warning zone, and would receive strong winds and rain as the cyclone passed inland.
But he said there was little change to the cyclone's predicted path as it made landfall later tonight around Cape Flattery and Hope Vale.
Hope Vale mayor Greg McLean said a number of trees had already been torn down in the township, but the town was still bracing for the brunt of the cyclone.
"We've seen a couple of trees get uprooted already, and I'm sure there's a few more down the road," he said. "We can only wait to see what happens."
Wind gusts have reached 139km/h at Cape Flattery, with 76.4mm of rainfall recorded since 9am this morning.
7pm: Cyclone Ita continues to creep towards the Queensland coast, with winds reaching 124km/h at Cape Flattery ahead of its arrival.
It is currently 40km from the coast and 90km from Cooktown.
BOM senior forecaster Pradeep Singh said the Category 4 cyclone would cross the coast between 9pm and midnight, and was expected to weaken to a Category 3 system by 6am tomorrow.
"It reached its peak earlier in the day and then showed some deterioration. Some cyclones do that when they interact with the land, especially the smaller ones," he said.
"It will stay as a Category Four when it crosses the coast somewhere between 9pm and midnight and slow down a bit, and it will continue moving inland for the next 12 hours decreasing in intensity."
He said regions north of Cardwell were expected to receive up to 300mm of rain over the next 24 hours.
Note: Earlier reporting has been truncated from this rolling report.
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