Category three storm expected to strengthen as it heads towards the Northern Territory

Cyclone Trevor has slammed into the north Queensland coast with ferocious winds of more than 200km/h that are ripping trees from the ground.

The powerful category three storm made “howling” landfall at 5pm just south of Lockhart River, one of a handful of towns on the Cape York Peninsula that has been urged to remain indoors until the storm passes.

“It’s howling out there,” the Lockhart River mayor, Wayne Butcher, said just as the storm bore down on the town. “There is a lot of trees going down around the place, there’s been a few trees landing on buildings already and we’ve got another few hours of strong winds.

“Hopefully everyone stays indoors and we don’t get any distress calls.”

Businesses, schools and roads are closed throughout the area and the state emergency services has deployed crews in towns likely to be affected by the storm’s wide path.

The weather bureau forecasts the storm will weaken as it crosses the Cape York Peninsula and moves into the Gulf of Carpentaria. But it is expected to re-intensify as it heads towards the Northern Territory.

Heavy rains are likely to cause many areas to flood with particular warnings for the Daintree and Mossman Rivers.

There is also a flooding risk from Innisfail to Kowanyama.

Police far north district chief superintendent Brian Huxley urged residents to take care in water after the storm passes – alluding to crocodiles and other “wildlife” that may be lurking beneath the surface.

“In particular, things that people might not ordinarily think of such as wildlife which gets displaced, we have all sorts of wildlife up here that we need to be weary of,” Huxley said.

He said that on Wednesday morning people would probably start looking to move around and it was very important they took care.

Locals throughout the area said they were well prepared, as usual for the cyclone season that runs from November to April.

“She’ll be right,” said rural firefighter Dale Mulley, in Coen, south of Lockhart River. “We’re fully prepared at the moment, we have about 3000 litres of bottled water, we’re all hunky dory.”

Butcher said they expected to experience the full brunt of the cyclone’s fury for up to five hours.

“We’re looking at five or six hours of destructive winds and (that) should ease after that, after the eye has crossed and gone inland,” Butcher said.

SES area commander Peter Rinaudo said Mapoon and Aurukun could also be hit.

The storm will cause abnormally high tides along the coast north of Port Douglas, with some remote and sparsely populated regions predicted to receive up to 400mm of rain in a 24-hour period.

Warnings are in place for Orford Ness to Cape Flattery, extending across the Cape York Peninsula to Pormpuraaw and Mapoon, including Weipa and Coen.