DAMAGING winds with gusts to 90 km/hr are expected to develop on the islands during Wednesday morning, then extend onto the coast during the day, and further inland across southern Cape York Peninsula and north of Charters Towers overnight.

Between Cooktown and Townsville these winds will become DESTRUCTIVE with gusts in excess of 125km/hr late Wednesday afternoon, and VERY DESTRUCTIVE with gusts ABOVE 170km/hr between Port Douglas and Cardwell during the evening as the cyclone approaches.