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Emergency workers and residents in north Queensland are waiting for daybreak to find out the extent of the damage caused by Cyclone Ului as it crossed the coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology says by then conditions should have eased from the destructive winds that hit the Whitsunday Islands and Airlie Beach early this morning, bringing down trees and power lines and causing widespread blackouts.
At its peak winds were reaching around 200km/h.
The Bureau says Ului crossed the coast at Airlie Beach at 1.30am (AEST) as a category three cyclone and should continue inland and gradually weaken during the day.
The eye of Ului is currently moving inland towards Collinsville and residents are being warned not to go outside because conditions will become dangerous again once the eye has passed.
