MASSIVE STORM DAMAGE REPORTS ROLLING IN, POWER LINES DOWN, POWER STATIONS EXPLODING

8.30am in Queensland and Cyclone Larry has well and truly made landfall.

Townsville has escaped any major damage. But farther north the news is growing worse by the minute.

A radio station announcer from Cairns claims winds outside of Cairns have reached 320kmh winds.

Massive explosions reported at power stations around Cairns, hundreds of miles of power lines down, leading to problems with electricity. Blackouts began before the eye of the cyclone hit, and have continued up the north Queensland coast from Townsville. Minimum estimate of thousands of homes will be left without power, for days, or weeks.

Radio station announceer said 130-180kmh winds are still blowning through Cairns, yet sightseers have been spotted cruising the Cairns Esplanade sight-seeing.

Gale force winds are shredding farmlands across the Atherton Tablelands. Callers to radio stations are reporting sheds, farmhouses, trees, farm equipment, gone as far as they can see. Families barricaded themselves into basements and into cars parked in garages, packing blankets and pillows around themselves to protect against breaking windows.