The mammoth cyclone barreling towards Australia's northeast coast Wednesday lived up to its category-five billing by knocking out the equipment that meteorologist are using to predict its path and strength, dpa reported.
Officials said that when contact was lost with the Bureau of Meteorology's radar station on Willis Island, 450 kilometres east of Cairns in far-north Queensland, the wind speed recorded was 185 kilometres per hour.
Cyclone Yasi is expected to pack wind gusts of over 280 kilometers per hour when it hits land late Wednesday.
The four staff of the Willis Island station were evacuated on Tuesday.