Cyclone Owen will “wreak havoc” across Queensland, with remote communities braced for 280km/h winds and much of the state on flood alert, the premier has said.

Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state had done all it can to be ready for Owen, which is expected to hit as a severe category-four storm late on Friday or early on Saturday.

The latest modelling on Friday suggested Owen would make landfall south of Kowanyama, on Cape York peninsula’s east coast.

Flooding was also expected in other parts of Queensland, with Owen expected to dump as much as 400mm of rain on some areas in coming days.

Rain and storms were also forecast from a separate weather system in the state’s south-east corner.

In central Queensland, there were concerns about possible landslides if heavy rain fell over vast tracts of land denuded by bushfires.

“We’ve just been through horrendous bushfires and now we’re dealing with a … cyclone,” Palaszczuk told the Seven network on Friday. “Owen will wreak havoc across our state and come down the east coast.”

In a sign of how widespread the threat from wild weather was expected to be, 29 mayors from across the state have been involved in disaster planning meetings.

More than 60 emergency services staff have been sent to Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw, including swift water rescue experts.

Authorities have been making sure everyone has a place to shelter in cyclone-rated buildings. Boats have been ordered back to harbour in coastal areas likely to see wild winds.

On Friday morning Owen was still a category-three storm, with wind gusts of almost 200km/h. It had the potential to reach category-four strength by early afternoon.

Dr Richard Wardle, from the Bureau of Meteorology, said communities near Owen’s landfall location must be prepared for very destructive winds, heavy rain and a significant storm tide.

Abnormally high tides could also compound any flooding on the east coast.



