At about 12:00 AM AEST ( 14:00 UTC ) on 3 February , Yasi crossed Motion_directional the Australian coastline as a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone near Mission Beach , with estimated maximum 3-second gusts of 285 km/h spanning Self_motion an area from Ingham to Cairns .

The storm passed Motion_directional between the two big cities of Cairns and Townsville which only suffered Bodily_harm minor damage Damaging .

After turning Motion southwest , Joy developed Coming_to_be a well-defined eye and strengthened Cause_change_of_strength to maximum sustained winds Motion of while approaching Arriving Cairns in Far North Queensland .

While drifting Motion offshore northeastern Australia , the cyclone Catastrophe produced Creating wind gusts as high as in Cairns , strong enough to cause Causation power outages Hindering .

The sixth named Name_conferral storm Catastrophe of the 1985–86 Australian region cyclone Catastrophe season , Winifred originated Coming_to_be as a tropical low north of Cairns , Queensland on 27 January 1986 .

In the confusion Quarreling in the days following the cyclone Catastrophe , looters stole Theft possessions Committing_crime in areas within the vicinity of Innisfail , and relief efforts were impeded Hindering by thunderstorms at Cairns .