A powerful category three cyclone is headed for the far-north of Queensland in Australia.

Forecasters predict Cyclone Nathan, currently 400km (249 miles) off the coast, will make landfall on Friday.

Residents between Cairns and Cape Melville have been warned to stay indoors, with gale force winds of up to 110km/h (70mph) expected.

Cyclone Nathan is currently about 400km off the Queensland coast

Separately, south-east Queensland saw severe thunderstorms early on Wednesday.

Nicholas Shera, from the Queensland office of the Bureau of Meteorology, told the BBC that residents in the path of Cyclone Nathan were at risk of heavy rain and flash flooding.