Queensland prepares for Cyclone Jasper as South and Western Australia battle fires and flood

ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK RESIGNATION REAX

Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles speaks to the media in Brisbane (AAP) Source: AAP / JONO SEARLE/AAPIMAGE

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The wild and unpredictable weather conditions continue to make their way across the country. Residents have been urged to listen to the advice of authorities amid flooding and fire events, and in Queensland, a tropical cyclone about to make landfall.


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TRANSCRIPT:

Queensland is getting ready to batten down the hatches.

A tropical cyclone warning has been issued for parts of the state's far north, where the impacts of Cyclone Jasper are expected to be felt soon.

Queensland Deputy Premier Stephen Miles.

"That means that the cyclone is expected to have impacts within the next 24 hours. And it also means the Bureau will issue three-hourly warnings. Tropical Cyclone Jasper remains offshore in the Coral Sea, 600 kilometres from Cairns, or 530 kilometres from Townsville."

The cyclone has been downgraded to category one.

But senior meteorologist Dean Narramore says it could intensify to a category two, or even a three, by the time it makes landfall.

He says it has the potential to do a lot of damage.

"Firstly, we're likely to see damaging to possibly destructive winds - enough to bring down trees and power lines and cause property damage. From a rainfall standpoint, particularly near and to the south, very heavy rainfall will be moving in, and that's likely to bring flash and riverine flooding."

Evacuation centres have already been set up, and extra emergency crews deployed from Brisbane.

Supermarket shelves have been stripped bare and authorities are warning electricity and phone services could be severed.

Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy says people need to be proactive.

"Think about now your medication, additional water, food, what you'll need for at least 72 hours in your households. We know that sometimes after these crossings it takes emergency services up to 72 hours to make the roads safe, to make the environment safe for us to support you. So please, go out to your chemist, get the medication you need, cause they're the sorts of things that cause problems."

While Queenslanders prepare for the cyclone, South Australia is cleaning up after heavy rainfalls that hit the state over the weekend.

State Emergency Services have been called to respond to over 900 incidents in the last 72 hours, with hundreds of houses left without power due to severe storms.

The shortage also affected two hospitals in Orrorroo and Booleroo Centre, which were forced to rely on backup generators.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Hannah Marsh says more than a month's worth of rainfall fell in just one weekend.

"In the 72 hours to 9am, we've had widespread rainfall totals of 30-80mm across western to central parts of the state, with in excess of 100mm over Eastern Eyre Peninsula."

Authorities say heavy winds knocked down trees in several areas, blocking driveways, while there were over 120 power outages across the state.

Deputy Chief Officer of the SES Liz Connell says authorities might not be able to reach everyone to help immediately.

"Approximately 50 per cent of the outback roads are currently closed and we encourage people to remain proactive and undertake preventative actions to help mitigate and reduce those impacts to their properties and to themselves."

Meanwhile in Western Australia, firefighters have continued to struggle with bushfires in the northern wheatfields region.

The blaze has burned over 2,500 hectares of land since Sunday.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has issued an emergency broadcast, telling residents it is too late to leave, and they must take shelter before the fire arrives.

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