Cyclone alert as Ita closes in
Tropical North Queensland is on cyclone alert with destructive winds and flooding likely to cross the coast on Friday.
Cyclone Ita has already caused massive destruction as it crossed over the Solomon Islands.
Lizard Island Resort has evacuated guests and staff as the remote resort prepares for Ita’s onslaught.
Beaches north of Cairns have also been closed as it’s feared the system could spark winds up to 250km/h.
The news will bring back memories to the region devastated by Yasi in 2011.
The storm, which eventually reached category five status, had wind gusts of about 285 km/h and damaged major centres such as Innisfail and Townsville.
Yasi was estimated to have caused $3.5 billion in damage and lost tourism earnings.
In the Solomon Islands, floodwaters around Honiara have eased, and the destination has gone into overdrive with full clean-up operations taking place.
Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto, said despite the damage caused to large parts of Honiara when the Mataniko River burst its banks, the capital city’s main hotels had, in the main, "escaped relatively unscathed" and were continuing to provide full services to guests.
Tuamoto said all international and domestic flights were back to normal and the roads in and around Honiara open to traffic.
Ian Jarrett
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