Follow our rolling coverage as the cyclone barrels towards the Queensland coastline, with emergency crews sent north and communities starting evacuations or hunkering down.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle crossed the far north Queensland coast this morning as a category 4 storm between Lockhart River and Coen. The system has since weakened into a category 3 storm. However residents are being warned not to be complacent as it moves west over the Cape York Peninsula today.

“Even after crossing, we can expect to still see heavy rainfall across northern Queensland on Saturday and Sunday and then, as Narelle moves over the Gulf, the focus will shift into the eastern Top End where communities can expect damaging to destructive winds and heavy rainfall later into the weekend and into early next week.”

Earlier in the morning, sheltering residents were warned to expect wind gusts greater than 250km/h

Weather conditions in North Queensland are forecast to get wetter from today, but communities along the coast will be keeping an eye on the potential for a low pressure system to move toward land this week.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest forecast maps, Tropical Low 34U, currently tracking south of the Solomon Islands, now has a 60 per cent chance of reaching cyclone strength by Thursday night.

Hello, Miriam at the Bureau with your National Weather Forecast for tomorrow, Thursday the 19th of March. Taking a look at tomorrow's weather map, we