The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a statement in response to claims about its coverage that suggest the BoM had blamed a staffing shortage for a late warning to residents in the path of the cyclone of Cyclone Iris in north Queensland.
BOM Queensland state manager Bruce Gunn reassured the community saying the Bureau remains focused on the threat Tropical Cyclone Iris poses and is fully staffed to run a 24x7 forecasting service.
Meanwhile, residents in Queensland's Whitsunday region have been spared the worst of Tropical Cyclone Iris after it failed to strengthen on Tuesday night, however the lingering effects of the erratic system are expected to continue for at least another week.