Tourists and locals are fleeing low-lying and waterfront areas in North Queensland as the area braces itself for a slamming from Cyclone Yasi.
The city of Cairns will be affected by the cyclone as well as luxury holiday resorts such as Hamilton Island.
While army troops transfer hospital patients to Brisbane and holidaymakers are flown out of danger spots, Queensland premier Anna Bligh once again found herself in the global spotlight just weeks after floods devastated parts of Queensland.
She said: “This is potentially a deadly storm and we need to take it absolutely seriously.”
Yasi is expected to hit the Australian coastline on Thursday. It is classified as a category four storm.
Central and southern Queenslanders who suffered so much in the post-Christmas floods will escape the storm, however, after it changed course.
by Dinah Hatch
