Category 5 Cyclone Yasi to land 300km/h punch on Queensland coast

CYCLONE Yasi is expected to be the most life-threatening storm in generations, the Bureau of Meteorology warns.

Yasi intensified to a category five overnight, the highest rating possible, and the bureau says it could pack winds upwards of 300km/h when it crosses the coast.

It's expected to make landfall between Cairns and Innisfail sometime late tonight.

Thousands of people have fled their homes in low-lying areas of Cairns and surrounds, Townsville and the Cassowary Coast ahead of what's expected to be a major storm surge.

Premier Anna Bligh said Yasi was now expected to cross the coast earlier than expected, about 10pm (AEST).

That development is a big blow for authorities, as it will come in on the high tide, exacerbating the extremely dangerous storm surge it will cause. On a moderate tide, it was expected to be up to two metres in Cairns.

"This impact is likely to be more life-threatening than any experienced during recent generations," the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said this morning.

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