Tropical Cyclone Jasper expected to make landfall in Queensland on Wednesday afternoon

Tropical Cyclone Jasper is expected to make landfall on Wednesday afternoon as it tracks further towards the Queensland coastline. A warning is in place from Cape Melville to Cardwell and includes inland areas such as Cillagoe. The Category One storm is expected to bring destructive winds and life-threatening flash floods. Conditions in Cairns have deteriorated over the last 30 minutes – the wind is picking up and more heavy precipitation coming down. As the system tracks closer to the Queensland coast, conditions are expected to change quickly and people in the area have been told to stay at home, stay safe, seek shelter and stay off the roads, especially if there is flooding. “We’ve had over 100 people come in from the southern part of the state to assist with this cyclone,” QFES Far Northern Region Assistant Commissioner Brad Commens said. “We’ve got swift water rescue teams predeployed, we’ve got our disaster assistance response team in town as well and they are ready to start damage assessments as soon as possible.”