On 9 March 1903, Cyclone Leonta impacted on Townsville. The cost was estimated to be approximately 250,000 pounds in 1903. Bar read down to 965 hPa. Hurricane force winds were SW to S. Much severe wind damage with flying roofing iron, buildings blown over and verandahs wrenched away. The Townsville Hospital with 36 cm thick brick walls was wrecked by the wind and the brick Grammar School was destroyed.

There were nine fatalities in the hospital and two bodies were found in wrecked houses while another was found on Stanton Hill two day later. This brought the total number of deaths to 12 in Townsville. The cyclone travelled inland for a period passing close to Charters Towers where there were 2 deaths and then it passed near Bowen where it also caused severe wind damage.

At Charters Towers, for the 24 hours ending 9am 10 March, 134mm of rain fell. It is reported that a man was drowned, at Kirk. Some of the buildings there were a complete wreck. The Town's engineer and second engineer were badly injured by wind debris and the latter was expected to die. One block of houses between Stanley and Gregory streets, consisting of twenty four houses, were wrecked.

At Cairns gale force winds hit the town, the wind having a force of seventy miles an hour and the storm continued for four hours, and damaged the municipal baths, washed the logging from the embankment of the esplanade, and destroyed the brick drains. The waves washed over the esplanade in numerous places. No damage was done to houses or shipping. The gale came from north-west very little rain fell.

At Bowen, the cyclone did great damage to buildings. The drill shed, Burns, Philip, and Co.'s cargo-shed and shipping office, the Presbyterian Sunday School, and Stewart's forge collapsed. The engine-shed, goods shed, and railway station, Schilling's, Cook's, Mackenzie's the Federal and Commercial Hotels, the Joint Stock Bank, the inner jetty shed, the "Times" office, and the houses of Massy, Mackenzie, Brooks and others, were partly unroofed, and the verandas removed. The telephone and telegraph lines were dismantled, and the baths collapsed. Heavy rain followed the cyclone, causing great damage to exposed property. The only casualties reported were those of Constable Luck and James Page, who were cut on the head and Pilot Gibson, who hurt his leg.

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