Australia braces for category five cyclones

Australia is bracing for two severe cyclones that are set to hit shores and cause millions of dollars worth of damage on Friday.

Cyclone Marcia, which was upgraded to a category five cyclone on Friday morning, is likely to reach the coast of central Queensland in mid-morning after tracking south and gathering wind speeds of up to 295 kilometers per hour.

Meanwhile, as of 10.00 a.m. local time on Friday, Cyclone Lam had already reached remote areas of the Northern Territory with wind gusts in excess of 250 km per hour.

It is anticipated that more than 1,000 people have already been impacted by the category four storm, which is blowing just 560 km east of Darwin.

Emergency services in Queensland were lamenting their luck on Friday morning, as Cyclone Marcia failed to enter the coast of the state, instead continuing to move south and gathering strength offshore.

That meant an upgrade in weather warnings across the state, with a cyclone shelter in St Lawrence, 800 km north of Brisbane.

It also sparked concerns that Marcia could maintain its strength as it moves further inland, with the cyclone still likely to be a category three storm by the time it reaches the more populated area of Rockhampton, just 600 km north of the capital.

Senior forecaster at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology Sam Campbell believes the storm will cause mass damage to infrastructure, while also putting a higher risk on severe flooding.

Speaking to The ABC on Friday, he warned citizens in the path of Cyclone Marcia to act with caution. "This is an extremely dangerous system," Campbell said. " There's likely to be significant damage to roofs, buildings, debris flying through the air, widespread power failures and really the potential for widespread destruction over the warning area."

Meanwhile, police in Northern Territory are warning people to remain indoors as Cyclone Lam edges closer. Endi