Warning Of Incoming Severe Tropical Cyclone Ita Issued To Far North Queensland

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology on Friday warned residents in Queensland's far north to stay tuned for the latest warnings and heed the advice of local emergency management authorities as severe tropical cyclone Ita tracks towards the coast.
Severe tropical cyclone Ita was upgraded to a Category 5 system Thursday afternoon with wind gusts near the center estimated to be near 300 km per hour. Ita currently lies to the northeast of Cooktown. The warning zone extends from Lockhart River in the north to Innisfail in the south, including Cairns, the major city in the area.
Ita will be the strongest tropical cyclone to hit northern Queensland since Yasi ravaged the area in February 2011. Although both in Category-5, Ita is stronger than Yasi, which was at the lower end of the Category 5 scale, but Ita is much smaller in size.
While the strongest winds are focused near the center, the warning area for tropical cyclones of this intensity is quite broad with destructive winds, heavy rainfall possibly leading to flash flooding, and coastal inundation due to storm surge all posing a threat, the bureau said in a press release.
Residents in the coastal warning zone are warned of a dangerous storm tide as the cyclone crosses the coast. Tides will be significantly higher than normal, with flooding of low lying areas likely. People are urged to listen closely to the advice of local emergency management authorities.
Heavy rain is expected to develop over parts of the Cape York Peninsula, North Tropical Coast and some other districts in the coming days. The bureau has issued a flood warning for coastal rivers and adjacent inland streams between Cooktown and Townsville.
The bureau's Tropical Cyclone Warning Center in Brisbane will continue to monitor the situation closely. Advice will be updated every three hours, increasing to hourly updates early Friday as the cyclone approaches the coast.
The bureau said that tropical cyclones are not uncommon at this time of year, although April is late in the season. Tropical cyclone Zane formed in the eastern region in April 2013 and severe tropical cyclone Monica in April 200 (Cihan/Xinhua)