Australia's Queensland warned to prepare for possible Category 5 cyclone

SYDNEY, March 18, (Xinhua): Residents in northern Australia have been warned to brace for one of the most severe cyclones in "living memory" after authorities said on Wednesday that Tropical Cyclone Narelle could make landfall as a Category 5 storm.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said that Tropical Cyclone Narelle was expected to make landfall in the far north of the state of Queensland as a Category 4 or 5 storm on Friday morning local time, bringing very destructive wind gusts exceeding 250 km per hour and intense rainfall. Premier of Queensland David Crisafulli told reporters that the cyclone was a serious situation.

"This may be the biggest system that many people have seen in living memory," he said. Crisafulli said that more than 100 emergency personnel from southern Queensland have been deployed north and that residents in the region should consider evacuating.

Chris Stream, deputy commissioner of the Queensland Police Service and the state's disaster coordinator, said that people should not underestimate the potential for the loss of life. "A piece of debris being propelled at 100 km or more per hour will likely kill you," he said. The BoM has warned that the cyclone could continue on its path and impact the Northern Territory after clearing Queensland.