Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi (Cat 5)
Position: 17.5S 146.8E [ 6 AM CST 1200 UTC 10PM AEST].
Movement: West-Southwest [250°] near 17 mph [28 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 155 mph [250 kph].
Wind Gusts: 190 mph [305 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 255 miles [405 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 85 miles [139 km].
Minimum central pressure: 930 mb ↑.
Currently about 80 miles [ 130 km] East-Southeast of Cairns, Australia in the Coral Sea.
A Cyclone Warning is in effect for coastal and island communities from Cape Flattery to Proserpine, extending West across the tropical interior to the Northern Territory border.
The storm is beginning to come ashore between Innisfail and Cardwell.
Overnight the eyewall expanded and the pressure came up slightly, but it is too little too late to reduce the winds. It is on the border, 155 mph, of becoming a Category 5 storm on the Saffir-Simpson as well as the Australian systems.
The ABC has sent up a Yasi Live Blog to cover the event.
Check the Australian BoM Cyclone page for the most current information.
As always, people have ignored the warnings to evacuate and are calling emergency services for help that cannot come because of the weather conditions.
Update: The ABC reported at 12:45AM AEST [8:45AM CST]: Queensland coast feeling Yasi’s fury
North Queensland residents are feeling the full force of one of Australia’s worst cyclones, with the category-five storm crossing the coast near Mission Beach, south of Innisfail.
Update: Yasi is ashore and has been downgraded to Category 4. It will be a while before damage assessment teams can get out as the sun hasn’t risen in Australia and the winds along the coast have not dropped all that much.