Please Note: This news story has expired and is held in our business travel news archive. The story is shown here for information purposes only. Please click here to view our current news releases.

Queensland braces for cyclone

2nd February 2011 Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi is expected to make landfall between Innisfail and Cardwell at 10pm (Queensland time) on Wednesday 2 February.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has warned that Cyclone Yasi is "a large and very powerful cyclone and poses an extremely serious threat to life and property within the warning area, especially between Cairns and Townsville".

Premier Anna Bligh has described the Cyclone as the "most catastrophic storm ever" seen in Queensland.

Cyclone Yasi will affect much of North Queensland with destructive winds, heavy rain, and in some areas storm surges that are expected to cause serious and sudden flooding in oceanfront and low-lying areas along much of the Queensland coastline.

The BOM has forecast the Cyclone's impact is "likely to be more life-threatening than any experienced during recent generations". Its ferocity and scale is expected to be much greater than that of Cyclone Larry, which hit North Queensland in 2006, damaging about 10,000 homes and causing AUD1.5 billion worth of damage to Innisfail and surrounding areas.

The Queensland Government has advised people who have not yet evacuated the area to remain indoors, stay calm, and follow the Queensland Government's cyclone advice.

The authorities expect the eye of the cyclone to take an hour to cross, during which conditions will be calm before the full force of the cyclone restarts. People are urged not to go outdoors during this period.

We advise anyone who has relocated or been evacuated from the path of Cyclone Yasi – or who is travelling in North Queensland - to register their details on the Red Cross’ National Registration & Inquiry System (NRIS). This will help family and friends reassure themselves that you are safe, and also help emergency services to concentrate on looking for people who may be missing as opposed to simply out of contact.

For registrations and enquiries, the phone numbers are:

- 1300 993 191 (for callers in Australia)
- +61 7 3055 6220 (for callers outside Australia).

You can also register your details on the NRIS system online at [https://emergency.redcross.org.au/]www.redcross.org.au[/u]

Travellers in North Queensland should keep up-to-date with advice from local media and emergency services via the websites below, or via the following radio stations:

- AM 846 (4CA, Cairns)
- AM 801 (local ABC, Cairns)
- FM 106.7 (local ABC, Cairns)
- AM 639 (local ABC, Tablelands)
- AM 630 (local ABC, Townsville)

TV and radio transmission interruptions may occur throughout the cyclone. Reliable broadcasts are available on short-wave radio: day 9710kHz, and night 6080kHz.

For the latest information see the Bureau of Meteorology website for a list of current weather warnings, and the Queensland Government's cyclone advice.

British nationals in Queensland requiring consular assistance should contact the British Consulate in Brisbane on (07) 3223 3200.

Source: UK Foreign Office

Follow our travel updates on Twitter: @_BusinessTravel