Hamish upgraded to category 3 cyclone

BRISBANE, Australia, March 6 (UPI) -- Cyclone Hamish should soon strike Australia's Whitsunday Islands in the wake of the storm being upgraded to a category 3 cyclone, an official says.

Weather bureau deputy regional director Bruce Gunn said Friday that residents in and around the Queensland town of Proserpine should expect heavy rains and winds over the weekend, the Brisbane Courier-Mail said.

"Our best estimate is that sometime late on Sunday evening it will make a right turn when it is somewhere near the Whitsundays," Gunn said. "This would put the tourist islands and the sugar-growing area around Proserpine directly in its path."

AccuWeather.com said as of Thursday night, Hamish sustained winds had reached speeds of up to 35 mph, while the cyclone's wind gusts topped out at 45 mph.

The cyclone is expected to gain additional strength in the next couple days as its travels southwest at a speed of 7 mph, the weather Web site said.