PORTS remain closed on Wednesday as Cyclone Jasper bears down on Far North Queensland.
The ports of Cairns, Mourilyan, Port Douglas, Cooktown and Cape Flattery closed on Tuesday as the tropical cyclone tracked toward the coast.
The Maritime Safety Queensland dashboard indicates the five ports were still closed as of 1400 AEST on Wednesday. Cyclone Japer had intensified to a category 2 system.
The Bureau of Meteorology expected Tropical Cyclone Jasper to cross the coast later on Wednesday and weaken overnight as it moves inland.
BOM warned of damaging winds on the FNQ coast on Wednesday afternoon, with destructive winds expected to develop.
“There is a moderate chance that Jasper could redevelop in the Gulf of Carpentaria during Friday or over the weekend,” BOM wrote in an update.
MSQ has previously told DCN there would be a recovery phase after the cyclone has made landfall, involving damage assessments within the ports, focusing on port infrastructure and the port channels.
“Once the recovery phase is complete (which may vary between a few hours and a few days), ships will be permitted to return to the ports,” MSQ general manager Kell Dillon said on Tuesday.
The Port of Townsville was no longer included in the cyclone warning zone as of Wednesday afternoon, according to the MSQ dashboard.
