Matt ‘Shirvo’ Shirvington is bracing for tropical Cyclone Jasper as strong winds hit the far north Queensland coast on Wednesday morning.
The Sunrise host, 45, offered a firsthand account of the escalating situation during a live segment from Port Douglas.
‘We are not far from our hotel, which is just across the road here,’ he said, pointing to his accommodation.
‘You can understand why that tide and storm surge is so critical to watch at the moment… [we] could get inundated,’ he continued, pointing to the proximity of his location to the cyclone’s path.
The area, already littered with palm fronds and fallen coconuts, braced for the full impact of the storm, expected to make landfall around 6 or 7 PM.
Shirvington then introduced viewers to Craig, the hotel manager, before the camera panned over to show damaged roofing at the entrance from the strong winds.
Furniture from verandas, where guests would typically enjoy drinks and views, had been stowed away to prevent damage from the category two winds, which could reach speeds of up to 160 km/h.
‘Many of those things, oddly, have been thrown in the hotel pool to keep it underwater [because] they don’t have anywhere else to store it,’ he explained.
Sunrise host Matt ‘Shirvo’ Shirvington has been caught in tropical Cyclone Jasper as strong winds hit far the North Queensland coast
The 45-year-old offered a firsthand account of the escalating situation during a live segment from Port Douglas on Wednesday morning
Matt’s co-host Natalie Barr and presenter Matt Doran filled in at the Sydney studio
‘These winds are getting stronger by the second.’
‘There are residents still walking around, you’ve got to take care,’ he warned viewers.
Local police have warned of the severity of the situation, advising residents to exercise caution.
Jasper is forecast to cross the coast somewhere between Port Douglas and Cape Flattery, about 440km north from Cairns and make landfall at about 6pm local time.
Tropical Cyclone Jasper was upgraded from a category one two a category two cyclone