QLD:Cyclone Yasi upgraded to category 5

AAP General News (Australia)
02-02-2011
QLD:Cyclone Yasi upgraded to category 5

SYDNEY, Feb 2 AAP - Tropical cyclone Yasi has been upgraded to category 5 as it nears
the north Queensland coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) in Brisbane said that at 5am AEDT Yasi was about 650
kilometres east-northeast of Cairns and 650 kilometres northeast of Townsville moving
west southwest at 30km/h.

"The cyclone has now reached category five and will continue to move in a west-southwesterly
direction during today," the BoM said on its website on Wednesday morning.

Coastal residents, particularly between Port Douglas and Townsville, were being warned
of an "extremely dangerous" storm tide as the cyclone approaches and crosses the coast.

It is likely to cause flooding some way inland.

Winds with gusts to 90km/h were expected on coastal islands later on Wednesday morning,
then extend on to the coast during the day.

Gusts over 125km/h were expected between Cooktown and Ingham in the afternoon, and
gusts reaching above 280km/h between Port Douglas and Cardwell in the evening as the cyclone
approached.

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KEYWORD: YASI

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