Cyclone Ita: live coverage as category-five storm on collision course for Queensland coast (ABC)

Cyclone Ita, a destructive category-five storm, is on a collision course with far north Queensland.

The weather bureau says Ita has slowed down as it heads towards the coast and should make landfall between Cape Flattery and Cooktown around midnight.

Brett Harrison from the weather bureau says there is a chance the system may be downgraded before it crosses the coast, but "either way we're still looking at a significant event".

The dangerous system will generate storm surges, high tides and very destructive winds of up to 300 kilometres per hour.

Parts of the coast could receive up to 300 millimetres of rain every six hours for several days after Ita hits.

Forecasters are closely monitoring for any southerly shift in the cyclone's track which could take it towards more densely populated areas.

Authorities say the cyclone is likely to rival the intensity of Cyclone Yasi, which devastated regions in far north Queensland in 2011.

Councils in the region say they are prepared for electricity supply to be cut to some communities for up to a month.

Follow all the developments on our live blog, and read the story here.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/22550216/cyclone-ita-live-coverage-as-category-five-storm-on-collision-course-for-queensland-coast/