Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului, category 3, made landfall this hour near Proserpine with wind gusts at 205km/h says WeatherWatch.co.nz.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan says live rain radar images clearly show the centre of the storm moving inland.  “The cyclone has made a direct hit between Proserpine and Bowen on the Queensland coast”.

Full details, news, live rain radar, weather maps below…

The town of Bowen has around 7500 people and was the main setting for the epic romantic film “Australia” starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman.

Bowen is also near the major tourist region of the Whitsunday Islands and Hamilton Island.

Mr Duncan says the eye of the cyclone is roughly 65kms wide which means between 11,000 and 20,000 people will be directly affected by the worst of the storms winds.   The hurricane force winds could affect as many as 200,000 people with the city of Townsville expected to receive severe gales shortly.

“Very destructive” winds up to 205km/h are being predicted by Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) for communities near the centre of the storm when it makes landfall.

Philip Duncan says Ului could bring “significant destruction” to areas near the centre of the storm.  “Winds this strong may bring destruction to crops, plantations, coral reef, beach communities and holiday resorts.  The torrential tropical rain, combined with a wet summer, may also cause major flooding”. 

Image: Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului, Cat 3 again, zeros in on Queensland coast earlier this evening.  Image / GOES, NOAA

WeatherWatch.co.nz will bring you extensive coverage overnight tonight as the cyclone moves in.

Check back for regular updates.

LIVE RAIN RADAR:  Click to animate with the latest images

 

LATEST WARNINGS FROM BOM – Please note all times quoted are Queensland times which are hours behind NZ

LATEST WARNING FROM BOM

TOP PRIORITY
TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVICE NUMBER 20
Issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, Brisbane
Issued at 12:52am EST on Sunday the 21st of March 2010

A Cyclone WARNING continues for coastal areas from Cardwell to Yeppoon and inland to Hughenden, including Charters Towers and Clermont.

At 12:00 am EST Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului, Category 3 was estimated to be 130 kilometres north of Mackay and 260 kilometres east southeast of Townsville and moving west at 30 kilometres per hour.

At 1:00 am EST the cyclone is estimated to be 69 kilometres east of Bowen and 125 kilometres north northwest of Mackay.

The cyclone is currently crossing the Whitsunday Islands as a severe tropical cyclone and is expected to move west and make landfall Bowen and Proserpine in the next hour. The cyclone is then expected to weaken as it moves inland later today.

VERY DESTRUCTIVE wind gusts to 200 km/hr near the cyclone centre currently affecting the Whitsunday Islands and will affect coastal and island communities between Ayr and Seaforth over the next few hours.

DAMAGING winds are expected in areas between Cardwell and Yeppoon over the next few hours, then extending to adjacent inland parts during today.

TIDES between Bowen and St Lawrence are expected to rise above the highest tide of the year overnight with very rough seas and dangerous conditions along the foreshore.

HEAVY RAINFALL and flooding are likely to continue about coastal and adjacent inland areas between Bowen and St Lawrence.

DANGEROUS SURF conditions are expected to continue about exposed beaches south of the cyclone until later today. A separate Severe Weather Warning is current for these conditions.

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Ului at 4:30 am NZT:

• Centre located near…… 20.0 degrees South 149.2 degrees East
• Location accuracy…….. within 30 kilometres
• Recent movement………. towards the west at 30 kilometres per hour
• Wind gusts near centre… 205 kilometres per hour
• Severity category…….. 3
• Central pressure……… 965 hectoPascals

 

LATEST CHART, posted 2:30am NZT