FAR North Queensland woke to severe weather on Saturday morning after a tropical low formed in the Coral Sea off Cairns. Residents reported gusts of up to 100km/hr. Latest at twitter.com/cairnsnews.

08:00 Sunday: Early this morning, Tropical Cyclone Jasmine (Category 1) was located in the Coral Sea about 640 km east of Cairns. The cyclone is moving east at about 20 kilometres per hour and should gradually intensify over the next 24 hours. Jasmine is not expected to directly affect the Queensland coast. BoM bulletin here.

08:55 Saturday: the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a Severe Weather Warning for the North Tropical Coast and Tablelands.

The Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail are closed and we are receiving reports that the Gillies Highway is blocked.

Police have urged the public to avoid Kamerunga Rd, Duffy and Martin streets. Power is also down in the area.

Reports are coming in of trees being uprooted in Babinda, Redlynch Valley, Mossman, Tully and the northern beaches of Cairns, with severe wind gusts causing problems for travellers across the Far North.

Live updates at twitter.com/cairnsnews

Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail are closed due to the high winds, power is out at Stratford, power lines are reported to be down at Trinity Beach and trees are down across the region.

Here are eyewitness reports from our Facebook.

Gerhard Pierard: Howling wind, trees down, old shed roof collapsed which of course survived Yasi and no power in Whyanbeel Valley. Like a mini cyclone without the rain.

Stacey Elizabeth Owen: Very windy in Caravonica woke up this morning to find my washing in my pool! :-)

Ruby Eichholz: Big winds @ Kuranda. Heaps of branches down too.

Janet Shearer: Yorkeys is windy, even has that whistle... :)

Dannii Louise: huge gusts over here at Freshwater... bit freaky

James Jimmy Perham: Mossman/Port Douglas is very very windy..

Handan Yildiz Roper: still very very very windy at Trinity beach. Scary :(.

Cherie Moss: Atherton is full on!!! Its unreal!

Jackie Fairfull: At gordonvale markets, it's def blowing a gale. Lucky i'm pegged down or might fly away

Eyewitness reports at facebook.com/CairnsComAu

The BoM issued the following weather warning for Damaging Winds

For people in parts of the North Tropical Coast and Tablelands district.

Issued at 8:55 am on Saturday 4 February 2012

Synoptic Situation: At 4am EST, a tropical low was situated approximately 490 kilometres east of Cairns and moving in an east to southeasterly direction at 20 kilometres per hour. The low is expected to continue moving in this direction
away from the Queensland coast.

Isolated areas of damaging winds with gusts above 90km/hr are occurring in parts of the North Tropical Coast and Tablelands district, particularly on and east of the ranges. Locations which may be affected include Babinda, Gordonvale, Redlynch Valley and Smithfield. These conditions are expected to ease by this evening.

Emergency Management Queensland advises that people should:

* Move your car under cover or away from trees.
* Secure loose outdoor items. 
* Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
* Beware of fallen trees and powerlines.
* For emergency assistance contact the SES on 132 500.

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