The summer of 2011 was already going to go down in Queensland's history for all the wrong reasons.

A stormchaser has told how he tied himself to a tree, strapped on a helmet and went into the core of Cyclone Yasi.

Only a freakish combination of weather conditions could see a storm with the force of Cyclone Yasi reach New Zealand.

Cyclone Yasi, despite causing massive damage, did not leave anyone dead or seriously injured.

Shoppers may be forced to fork out up to $13 a kilo for bananas as 90 per cent of Australia's crop may have been wiped out.

Evacuation centres in Cairns and Townsville will remain in lockdown due to a second, dangerous storm surge in the wake of Cyclone Yasi, Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says.

Amid the chaos and devastation of Cyclone Yasi, a yet-to-be named baby girl has been born at a Cairns evacuation centre.

Messages from Twitter and Facebook as north Queensland wakes up to the devastation of its worst battering in recent history.

Former Auckland police officer Sandy Beckett said he would rather take on a crocodile than sit through Cyclone Yasi.

Former Tall Black Phill Jones converted his master bedroom's walk-in wardrobe into a virtual bunker to protect his family against Cyclone Yasi.

'The most serious cyclone you can have' is how Queensland Premier Anna Bligh is describing the storm set to ravage the state tonight. The storm has been upgraded to a Category Five cyclone - the most severe level imaginable.

Thousands of people are fleeing their homes and hospitals are being emptied as severe tropical cyclone Yasi bears down on the north Queensland coast.

Evacuations are underway as severe tropical cyclone Yasi continues its charge towards the north Queensland coast.

Severe thunderstorms have hampered the reconnection of power to flood-weary southeast Queenslanders.