Massive once-in-a-generation cyclone approaches Queensland coast as locals are issued dire warnings and military is put on standby

A category five cyclone with an intensity not seen in a century is barrelling towards the northern Queensland coast, with some communities evacuated and the military put on standby to assist.

Seven years after a cyclone devastated his remote community, a local mayor in the region, Wayne Butcher, said he had a funny feeling in the eerie quiet on Thursday evening.

There was no wind or rain about at Lockhart River on Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula. ‘But you can feel it. Something’s coming,’ Mr Butcher said.

Tropical Cyclone Narelle is set to make landfall near Coen, north of Cairns, about 7am AEST on Friday as a dangerous category five system, producing wind gusts up to more than 250km/h.

‘I can’t sugarcoat this, the damage will be widespread with a system of that size,’ Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said.

More than 100 emergency service personnel have been sent north, with police going door-to-door to ensure locals are prepared.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated and the army is on standby with fears the potentially deadly storm will trigger downpours and ‘blow apart’ buildings.

‘It’s looking like it’s gonna track the same way that bloody Cyclone Trev did. I couldn’t sleep last night, I just had that funny feeling,’ Mr Butcher said.

Cyclone Trevor slammed into Lockhart River as a category four system on March 19 2019, destroying everything in its wake.

Seven years to the day, Lockhart River is bracing for Narelle – the first category five system to hit Cape York since Cyclone Mahina killed more than 300 people in March 1899.

‘Unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of practice with cyclones,’ Mr Butcher said.

As Narelle closes in, the mayor says an informal curfew will be put in place. A police car will drive the streets, siren on, warning residents it’s time to seek shelter. 

But there is no community evacuation centre or an emergency centre to monitor the storm.

Locals have been encouraged to move out of timber and demountable homes and into the community’s sturdy low-set besser block houses.

‘We kind of play everything by ear,’ Mr Butcher said of their cyclone response.

‘The phones will probably be out, so people will have to get the old two-way radios out of the cupboard and get ready for the clean-up.’

Lockhart River was on Thursday included in a cyclone warning zone that extended south to Cape Tribulation as they braced for Narelle.

Vulnerable residents were evacuated, tourists flew out on the last remaining flights and schools were closed.  

‘The type of wind that is being predicted is the sort of thing that will blow apart sheds, that will blow caravans down roadways and create fields of airborne debris,’ Queensland disaster co-ordinator assistant commissioner Chris Stream said.

‘Those types of objects being propelled at over 100km/h will have a fatal outcome.’ 

Rainfall in excess of 500mm is expected from Thursday across Cape York.

The far north is already reeling from flooding after it was impacted by back-to-back tropical lows in recent months.

Shipping containers of supplies have arrived and emergency generators placed on standby, with the region told it will lose power.

After crossing Cape York, the storm is expected to lash the Northern Territory’s Top End and possibly move into Western Australia.

The army is on standby with about 500 people to be evacuated from the NT community of Numbulwar in the coming days.

The remote community was previously evacuated in 2019 when Cyclone Trevor threatened.

A cyclone watch has been issued for parts of the Top End with Narelle expected to cross the NT coast as a category three system on Saturday.