Far North Queensland is bracing for damaging impacts as category 5 Cyclone Narelle powers towards the Cape York Peninsula.

“This is a serious event and we are making preparations for a category 5 cyclone to potentially cross the coast tomorrow morning,” Premier David Crisafulli said this afternoon.

“If a category 5 system crosses the coast in this location, it’ll be the first time that’s happened in over 100 years. 

“And if a category 5 system crosses the Queensland coast, it’ll be just the fourth time that’s happened in half a century.

“This is a serious system … and I’m asking people to take it seriously because it is the kind of event that doesn’t happen all that often.”

The Bureau of Meteorology raised the storm’s strength rating to category 4 this morning, then shortly after to 5 – the highest mark on the scale.

It projects Narelle will make landfall tomorrow, possibly at category 4, bringing destructive wind, heavy rain and a dangerous storm surge.

“They do not get more powerful than this,” the bureau’s senior meteorologist Angus Hines said just before midday.

“This is a symmetrical system, it is well formed and well organised, telling us it is an extremely powerful weather system.

“We are likely seeing winds above 200km/h at the moment around the eye of this tropical cyclone.”

He says the storm could ease to category 4 “about the time it crosses the coast. That is still an extremely powerful weather system and will have some significant impact across the northern part of the state.”

Warnings are in place for an area from Lockhart River in the north to Cape Tribulation in the south.

Insurers say they have mobilised their disaster support and claims teams.

Suncorp EGM of home claims Alli Smith said: “We are doing everything we can right now to prepare for the impacts of this event. When the threat passes and it is safe to do so, we will move quickly to reach affected customers and help them through the recovery process.”

Allianz says it is monitoring the storm. “Allianz is ready to support our customers if they do need to make a claim,” a spokesperson said.

IAG says its claims team will provide immediate support to affected customers.

The Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation has declared Narelle an “event” for the purpose of the cyclone scheme. The event began at 4pm on March 17 and the corporation will provide a claims period end date once advised by the Bureau of Meteorology.

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