The wind howled, the heavens opened, trees came crashing down and hundreds have been left without power after Tropical Cyclone Trevor battered the Queensland coast.
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Despite the terrifying conditions brought by the then-category 3 system, no lives have been lost, but locals had to endure six hours of gale-force winds which sounded "like a freight train".
On Wednesday afternoon, an emergency alert for Aurukun was issued while severe thunderstorm warnings by the Bureau of Meteorology were released after 4pm.
Damaging winds, heavy rainfall and large hailstones were predicted for parts of Gympie, Scenic Rim, Gold Coast Council areas, the Wide Bay and Burnett districts.
BoM said thunderstorms detected near north-east of Gympie at 4.40pm were moving north-west and would reach Toolara Forest by 5.15pm.
Severe thunderstorms were also detected on the weather radar near the area north-east of the Lamington National Park and would affect Numinbah Valley and Little Nerang Dam by 5.15pm and Canungra and Nerang by 5.45pm.
Locations which might be affected include Rainbow Beach and Tiaro.
Parts of the Cape York Peninsula could also cop heavy rainfall with possible destructive wind gusts about the coast.
Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford said the situation in Lockhart River, the worst-hit area in the state's far north, on Wednesday was "pretty good".
"The damage assessments are currently underway, we have no reports of loss of life or significant injury and council and all the teams up there are starting to get those damage assessments happening and working out just what we are dealing with," he said.
"All in all, a lot of wind overnight for Lockhart River. I spoke to the mayor this morning not long after sunrise and he described a freight train that ran for about six hours last night, I think he used the word relentless.
"Today, the biggest issue across FNQ is going to be rainfall, the bureau is expecting numbers around the 200-millimetre mark falling in different parts of FNQ.
"If you are out and about, that is one of the biggest messages we are sending, don’t be complacent – the rivers, streams and drains could still run very fast and those rapids could rise very quickly.
"If it’s flooded forget it and if you don’t need to be out on those roads, don’t be."
The remote far north Queensland communities of Lockhart River and Coen were without power on Wednesday, and could be cut off for several days.
The 75-kilometre wide system ripped through the region late on Tuesday. Lockhart River received 300 millimetres of rain in less than 24 hours and recorded wind gusts of more than 130km/h.
TC Trevor weakened to a category 1 and was expected to pass just north of Aurukun on the west coast of Cape York before re-intensifying to category 4 as it moved towards the Northern Territory.
An emergency alert was issued by Aurukun Shire Council to the Aurukun community to warn of the impact of strong winds and heavy rainfall.
Residents were advised to stay inside until the cyclone has passed.
An Ergon Energy spokeswoman said 460 properties, including 180 in Aurukun, had lost power.
Energy crews were ready to deploy as soon as airstrips in the remote communities were safe to land on, but it could be days before power was fully restored.
Lockhart River Mayor Wayne Butcher said TC Trevor was the worst he had endured.
"It was ferocious - the wind was just constant between 4pm and midnight," he said.
"This was probably the worst one ... [it] basically sat near the community and hounded us for hours.
"We've got a few trees across houses and a few sheds have gone flying."
Lockhart River Arts Indigenous Corporation manager Enoch Perazim wrote on Facebook on Tuesday night that it felt "like the house is about to be lifted up on all sides", but her home stayed intact.
Extra police, swift water rescue crews, supplies and another rescue helicopter were moved into areas between Lockhart River and Cairns before everyone was told to take cover on Tuesday afternoon.
Far North Chief Superintendent Brian Huxley said homes on the east coast were designed to withstand category 4 conditions.
-with AAP and Jocelyn Garcia
