The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued its most recent warning on the steadily approaching category 5 Tropical Cyclone Ita.

As of 2:00 p.m. Australian Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Friday, Ita was located approximately 145 kilometers (90 miles) north-northeast of Cooktown and 305 kilometers (189 miles) north of Cairns. The massive storm is bearing down on the coast of northeast Australia as it moves in a south-southwesterly path at approximately 13 kilometers (8 miles) per hour.

The Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre of the BOM has issued a cyclone warning for coastal areas extending from Cape Sidmouth to Innisfail, including Cooktown, Port Douglas and Cairns. The warning also extends inland to areas that include Kalinga, Mareeba and Chillagoe.

The Centre reports that a cyclone watch has been put in place for coastal areas ranging from Innisfail to Cardwell and includes any and all adjacent inland areas.

The BOM has upgraded Ita's status to a "Severe" Tropical Cyclone. It warns that as a category 5 storm, Ita will bring with it "very destructive winds" of up to 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour) near the core with gusts extending out up to 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the storm's center.

"Tropical Cyclone Ita poses a serious threat to communities along the far north Queensland coast," the Tropical Cyclone Warning center said on Friday afternoon. "It is expected to ... make landfall between Cape Melville and Cooktown this evening or tonight."

According to a report from CourierMail News, authorities in Cooktown have already declared the area a disaster zone this morning as the storm churned toward the coast. The town went into official lockdown mode midday on Friday.

Cooktown Mayor Peter Scott told residents during an earlier disaster briefing that the town faces being "wiped out" by Saturday as the result of the impact of a storm with such intensity.

"Cooktown tomorrow, as we know it today, will not be the same tomorrow," Scott said during the briefing. "There's going to be widespread damage."

Police Acting Superintendent, Rhys Newton, chimed in with his own warning, telling residents: "things we assume we can do today will not be possible tomorrow ... priority is life."

According to the BOM, heavy winds with gusts in excess of 125 kilometers per hour (77 miles per hour) are expected to develop between Cape Melville and Cooktown by Friday afternoon and will likely extend south to Cape Tribulation and possibly Port Douglas by Friday night.

Officials say that the cyclone is expected to weaken overnight as it makes landfall but warn of the possibility that Ita may track southward and hug the coast. This forecast model would mean that the storm would likely maintain cyclone intensity for a longer period of time, extending through late in the day on Saturday.

If Ita does take the aforementioned coastal route, it's expected that destructive winds with gusts of up to 150 kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour) will be possible at Port Douglas and Cairns throughout Saturday.

"Once that wind gets over 80 kilometers per hour, it's dangerous," Scott told residents. "Sheets of iron will cut you in half, roofs will start to lift."

Residents in coastal areas between Cape Melville and Cape Tribulation, including those in Cooktown have also been advised that the storm will cause a dangerous rise in sea level to well above normal tide. Damaging waves, strong currents and flooding in low-lying areas are expected to extend far inland.

These residents are warned to take the proper precautions to protect their property and to prepare themselves for evacuation procedures if mandated by local authorities.

Specifically, people between Cape Sidmouth and Innisfail and adjacent inland areas including Laura, Kalinga, Palmerville, Mareeba and Chillagoe have been advised to complete their preparations quickly and be ready to shelter in a safe place.

Additionally, residents living between Innisfail and Cardwell as well as adjacent inland areas should consider what actions they will need to take if the cyclone threat in that part of the country increases.

"[Cyclone Ita] is an extreme event," Police, Fire & Emergency Services Minister Jack Dempsey told Australian residents. "It has the possibility to take lives and the potential to damage severely property in the north Queensland area."

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