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Source: ONE News
A category five cyclone is heading towards Queensland and could hit the state's north coast this week.
Tropical cyclone Ului is southeast of the Solomon Islands and slowly moving west after building rapidly from a category three on Saturday to a category five on Sunday morning.
Queensland's Bureau of Meteorology said it was hovering more than 1500 kilometres northeast of the Whitsundays on Sunday afternoon.
"It's tracking slowly west and it's expected to still be well off the (north Queensland) coast mid-week," forecaster Tony Wedd said.
"It's not clear whether it will hit the coast. It might but there are other indications that it could turn away.
"We are just watching and waiting."
He said the cyclone could weaken to a category four in coming days.
Wind gusts are already hitting coastal waters north of Cairns, and Emergency Management Queensland says it will watch the situation closely.
"Our senior staff along the coast are making sure they are ready to respond should the need arise," a spokesman said.
Wedd said as the cyclone approaches, gale force winds could batter the coast from Cairns to Gladstone, in central Queensland.
Meanwhile, the clean-up from months of heavy rain in southwest and central Queensland is continuing.
Farmers were assessing their livestock and property losses on Sunday as Primary Industries Minister Tim Mulherin and peak farming groups inspected the flood damage at Windorah, Quilpie, Thargomindah and Charleville, in southwest Queensland.
Mulherin met with farmers, small business owners and mayors to discuss the situation.
He will do the same in Cunnamulla, St George and Roma on Monday.
