Powerful gusts of wind brought by the most dangerous storm ever predicted to hit Queensland have begun buffeting northern parts of the Australian state.
Cyclone Yasi, a category five storm, the most severe level, is expected to make landfall shortly.
It will hit between Innisfail and Cairns, where 89,000 people across the region are already without power.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has warned residents of devastation and heartbreak on an unprecedented scale.
Ms Bligh described the weather system as the "most catastrophic storm ever seen" in the state.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that Cyclone Yasi posed an "extremely serious threat to life and property" within the warning area, especially between Cairns and Townsville.
"This impact is likely to be more life-threatening than any experienced during recent generations," it warned.
More than 10,000 people are in evacuation centres, and there were reports that those who had not already secured a place were turned away.
Those remaining in their homes were told to tape up windows, fill sandbags and prepare a "safe room" with mattresses, pillows, a radio, food and water supplies to wait out the cyclone.
They were also encouraged to fill their bathtubs with water for drinking supplies.
Cairns resident Philip Baker told the BBC it seemed "a safer bet" to stay in his home rather than flee or head to an overcrowded evacuation centre with his wife and young daughter."We're as prepared as we can be. There is little left to do but wait.
"The authorities have been wonderful, supplying us with updates and the latest information via text. We've been told that we might lose power and the phone lines in the next few hours.
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