Tropical Cyclone Ului, packing winds of up to 200 kilometres per hour, is engulfing the north Queensland coast.

The Queensland Government earlier approved the use of forced evacuations to ensure the safety of residents who may be affected by the Category 3 cyclone.

The weather bureau said the cyclone was closing to within 100 kilometres east of Bowen and 120 kilometres north of Mackay.

Ului was expected to cross the coast between Ayr and Mackay, most likely between Bowen and Proserpine, after midnight (local time) and was then forecast to weaken inland later on Sunday.

Senior forecaster Geoff Doueal says wind gusts of up to 140kph are being recorded at Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays. About 1,000 guests holidaying on the island have been moved to safe locations.

Mr Doueal said coastal towns would feel the impact in the early hours of Sunday.

“They’ll be feeling it soon,” he said. “What’s happening is that they’re getting one of the outer bands coming across the Hamilton Island area now.

“That’s not the maximum wind. The wind’s just a little bit further away. The real maximum winds are about another hour or so away from the Hamilton Island area, so it’s looking at that inner core of really strong winds that’ll be coming over the next hour or two.”

The stronger winds are expected to reach 200 kph.

Jill Collins from the Hamilton Island resort group says the island is one of the safest areas to be.

“We’re not concerned about our buildings. We’ve taken all our buggies and vehicles off the road and also looked at anything else we’ve needed to bring indoors – all of the guest furniture off the balconies and by the pool.

“The damage we probably look at sustaining – I imagine there will be some affect from the winds – will probably be mostly to our vegetation.”

The Government’s pre-emptive disaster declaration applies the Townsville, Burdekin, Whitsunday, Charters Towers, Mackay, Isaac, Rockhampton and Central Highlands local government areas.

Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts says it is a necessary precaution.

“Hopefully it won’t be needed, but it’s simply an additional tool for the disaster authorities if required,” he said.

“It’s not just for the cyclone itself. We’re expecting very heavy rain in the region where the cyclone crosses the coast, potentially up to 200 millimetres in a very short period of time, so there may be a need to evacuate people as a result of flooding.”

Mr Roberts says residents should remain vigilant.

Prepared

Emergency Management Queensland acting chief officer Bruce Grady says all the councils and their local disaster management groups are taking the threat seriously.

“We are very confident that the plans they have in place and the arrangements that they are currently making in anticipation of this crossing during the night or early morning are well advanced,” he said.

“Their warnings to their local communities have got those people on stand-by and they will be making the right arrangements personally.”

Meanwhile, flights to Hamilton Island have been cancelled as the cyclone approaches the coast.

Both Qantas and Jetstar have cancelled their services to the island on Saturday and Sunday.

Farmers concerned

Canegrowers are hoping the cyclone will bypass their crops when it crosses the coast.

Ian Ballantyne says there is about 7 million tonnes of sugar cane around the Mackay and Proserpine region.

He says the predicted strong winds could destroy the crops.

“This is a good crop and it’s a very good price for the first time in a number of years,” he said.

“The industry was devastated a number of years ago when Cyclone Larry went through Innisfail and Babinda – that was a large cane-growing area and it had a very significant impact on that crop.

“If the cyclone is of the same intensity it will have a similar impact on the crop and the livelihood of the farmers.”