The latest updates from Queensland as a massive storm barrels down.
Friday 31 Jan 2014

North Queensland residents have breathed a sigh of relief, after tropical Cyclone Dylan was downgraded to a tropical low.

Locals were spared the worst early this morning, as the category two system made landfall at Hideaway Bay, near Bowen.

Just hours after a category two cyclone tore through north Queensland, forecasters are saying another cyclone could be on the way.
As north Queenslanders mop up after the state's first cyclone of the season, forecasters say another one could be on the way.Cyclone Dylan, which made landfall early on Friday morning between Bowen and Airlie Beach, was described as "lame" by some...

A tourism operator says the swell whipped up by Cyclone Dylan is eating away at his resort, with three houses in danger of being swallowed.

Great Keppel Island Hideaway co-owner Sean Appleton says his staff are battling to save three houses at the resort, off Rockhampton.

 The resort has already lost three decks since Dylan crossed the north Queensland coast early on Friday.

 Mr Appleton says staff had used a tonne of sand to protect the property in recent days, but to no avail.

 The swell was just too big, he said.

 "It was no greater than we anticipated, but it was greater than we could stop," he told AAP.

 "We had no hope."

 Mr Appleton said staff were frantically trying to save the three houses at risk, but it was pointless given they were already hanging over the edge of sand dunes.

"We've got 250 beds here, but losing them rapidly," he said.

 Mr Appleton said the damage might have been avoided if an application made to Rockhampton Regional Council two years to have a rock wall erected to protect the resort hadn't been rejected.

 It would have saved about 150 metres of beachfront on Great Keppel Island, he said.

 Mr Appleton said there was now a risk of saltwater spreading behind the resort and into fresh water areas on the island.

 "That'll just be a disaster for the whole place," he said.

 Mr Appleton said repairs to the houses would cost at least $300,000, but the damage bill was expected to be greater, given the swells were still battering the coastline.

Torrential rain and wind gusts up to 140km/h are battering north Queensland as Cyclone Dylan makes landfall.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says the category two cyclone made landfall near Proserpine, north of Mackay, just after 4am(AEST) on Friday.

Forecaster Chris Joseph told AAP the storm is moving about 16km/h in a southerly direction and is expected head inland in the next three to six hours.

"It is still a dangerous storm," he said.

Wind gusts up to 135km/h were felt at Flinders Reef, about 250 kilometres off Bowen. Mr Joseph says heavy rain is battering much of the north Queensland coast.

About 450mm of rain was dumped at Pioneer River basin, west of Mackay, in the 24 hours from 9am (AEST) Thursday.

About 200-300mm of rain is expected in other areas. Mr Joseph says residents in low-lying areas could be flooded during a king tide on Friday morning.

A cyclone warning remains in place for coastal and island communities from Townsville to St Lawrence, extending to adjacent inland areas including Collinsville.

A BOM alert issued at 2am (AEST) said damaging gusts up to 120km/h are possible between Townsville and St Lawrence on Friday morning.

Destructive winds up to 140km/h may be felt in some areas for brief periods.Winds are expected to ease rapidly by the afternoon. Heavy rain, which may lead to flash flooding, is expected about coastal and adjacent inland areas of the Herbert and Lower Burdekin and the Central Coast and Whitsundays districts.

Coastal residents between Ayr and Mackay are being warned a dangerous storm tide may hit during high tide on Friday morning.

"The sea is likely to rise steadily up to a level well above the normal tide, with damaging waves and flooding of some low-lying areas close to the shoreline," the weather bureau said in a statement.

Residents are being advised to take measures to protect their properties. A separate severe weather warning is current for remaining coastal and island communities from Cooktown to Cardwell and from St Lawrence to Gladstone, extending inland to the northern Central Highlands and eastern parts of the Central West districts.

Thursday 30 Jan 2014

North Queenslanders are bracing for a cyclone that's tipped to bring dangerous storm tides as it barrels towards the coast.

People are filling sandbags and stocking up on supermarket supplies in preparation for Cyclone Dylan, which is expected to make landfall early tomorrow morning.

It will cross the coast, near Ayr, just hours before a king tide is forecast to hit.

Residents between Lucinda and St Lawrence are on flood alert, with low-lying areas close to the shoreline expected to be inundated.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman says while flooding is a "big threat", north Queenslanders have faced far worse disasters.

The weather bureau says the category one cyclone was about 205km northeast of Townsville and 260km north of Proserpine at 4pm (AEST).

It's moving at 12km/h in a southwesterly direction towards the coast and may bring dangerous storm tides, heavy rain, flash flooding and storm gusts of up to 120km/h.

A cyclone warning remains in place for north Queensland, with conditions forecast to intensify on Friday morning, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

Tropical Cyclone Dylan is expected to continue moving towards the coast crossing between Townsville and Bowen on Friday morning.

The cyclone and a strong ridge of high pressure further south are combining to generate gales at times along much of the east coast between Cardwell and St Lawrence. Winds are expected to increase further between Lucinda and StLawrence overnight and extending to adjacent inland areas later Friday morning.

Destructive wind gusts to 150 kilometres per hour are possible near the centre.

Heavy rain, which may lead to flash flooding, is expected about coastal and adjacent inland areas of the Herbert and Lower Burdekin and the Central Coastand Whitsundays districts.