Early this morning, tropical Cyclone Debbie intensified and was upgraded to a Category Four storm as it barreled toward Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has warned it will make landfall late Tuesday morning between Ayr and Cape Hillsborough, north of Mackay in Far North Queensland.

ABC reported that Brett Harrison from the BOM has predicted that the cyclone could reach a Category Five — the highest on the BOM scale.

"At this stage we can't rule out a Category Five system during the coming hours," he said.

The iconic Whitsunday Islands have already experienced destructive winds of up to 190 kilometers per hour and thousands of people are without power in Cannonvale, Airlie Beach, and parts of Mackay. There have already been reports of fallen trees, fences blown away, and roofs lifting.

"It's just like freight trains coming through left and right," Charlie from Hamilton Island told ABC.

It is going to be a long day for residents in the area as they prepare for the worst.

Bruce Gunn from Emergency Management Queensland warned, "People in the path of the core of the cyclone can expect many, many hours of sheltering," he said. The BOM has predicted that it could take up to 18 hours for the 50km wide core of the cyclone to pass.

"Remember that the lull in the winds may be the eye of the cyclone and the destructive winds will return from the opposite direction, so be very careful about going outside."

The Premier of Queensland, Annastacia Palaszczuk has warned residents in the affected area, "Please do not go outside, don't risk it, please don't risk your life or risk the life of a loved one — stay indoors."

Last night, 25,000 text messages were sent out to residents of Mackay advising them to evacuate low-lying areas.


Mackay Regional Mayor Greg Williamson said, "As a community we've been here before. Now it's up to us as a community to come together to make sure we're looking after one another, to make sure we get through this severe weather event that's just about on our doorstep."

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Defend the Planet

Tropical Cyclone Debbie Making Landfall in Far North Queensland, Australia

By Marnie Cunningham