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There are no reports of deaths or serious injuries, but media crews are heading to Tully where residents have revealed there was extensive damage to homes.
Classified as a category 5 with potential gusts of up to 300 kilometres per hour yesterday, the tropical cyclone was downgraded to a category 2 this morning by the Bureau of Meteorology.
The bureau estimated the cyclone was 245km west of Cardwell at 8am AEDT this morning and expects the core to host destructive winds exceeding 125kph.
“Yasi continues to weaken, but it is producing heavy rain and dangerous wind gusts as it moves across the tropical interior,” the bureau said.
The cyclone is forecast to weaken to a category 1 as it continues inland with gale-force winds expected to affect the Mt Isa area by tonight.
Bowen Basin ‘relatively unscathed’
The QCoal-led Sonoma open cut mine is near Collinsville at the northern end of the Bowen Basin – on the perimeter of the forecasted cyclone-affected area.
While the mine was shut down before the cyclone, less rain was received than expected.
“We didn’t have too much of an issue from the cyclone last night,” Sonama site superintendent Dave Nebauer told ILN.
“Certainly haven’t had no great inrush of water into the pit or anything.”
The mine is restarting operations and working to get its staff back in again.
“The main issue for us is getting our people back now, a lot of our people are spread up and down the coast, were in areas which have been impacted, so could be some time before we get all our people back.”
Nebauer expects that anywhere further south was “relatively unscathed” from the weather overnight.
The Collinsville open cut mine slightly northwest of Sonoma has been shut down for the last two days.
Xstrata was still gathering information about the Thiess-operated mine this morning.
The Newlands open cut and underground mine was shut down just for night shift.
An Xstrata spokesperson told ILN there were no indications of any impact to the mine.
He was still trying to gather information about any possible impact on the Abbot Point Coal Terminal this morning.
Queensland Rail National suspended services on the Goonyella and Newlands rail networks on Tuesday, and is yet to be in the position to provide any updates, with a lack of telephone coverage providing some difficulties.
ILN is also seeking updates on the Hay Point and Dalrymple Bay coal terminals.
