UPDATE: Latest warnings on Cyclone Debbie

Cyclone Debbie is still out to sea but she has already had a whirlwind effect on supermarket shelves.

There have been reports from even as far down as Rockhampton that supermarket shelves have been stripped with people panic buying milk, bread and tinned food.

An image sent to Oz Cyclone Chasers shows empty shelves in Airlie Beach, with a number of their followers posting similar images from areas like Townsville and Ayr.

Whitsundays residents have been alerted to the potential of flooding with the highest tide of the year expected, and those in low lying areas have been advised to evacuate.

Bureau of Meteorology reports that overnight Cyclone Debbie became a Category 2, sustained winds near the centre of 100 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 140 kilometres per hour. 

The cyclone remains slow moving and is expected to adopt a steady west-southwest track later this morning and intensify into a Category 3 system this afternoon.

Read more: Urgent warnings issued as Cyclone Debbie gathers pace. 

BOM still expects Cyclone Debbie to intensify further before making landfall between Townsville and Proserpine on Tuesday morning.

As well as official advice being issued about how to prepare for a cyclone, many readers have been sharing their suggestions via social media.

• Place a mattress or some kind of padding between your car and the roller door in the garage, then park the car as close as possible against the door. This will reduce movement and help prevent damage.
• Get some cash out. If the power goes out your plastics cards won’t be any good for emergency purchases.
• Rice and stews are great options for emptying the fridge if the power goes out.
• Check your gas bottles, butane canisters and fuel for your cars and generator.
• Check your medication supplies are plentiful but ensure you also have headache tablets available.
• Make sure you have plenty of toilet paper, wet wipes and sanitary items.
• Fill empty soft drink bottles and pop them in the freezer now. It will keep your fridge cool if the power goes out and can be defrosted for drinking water later.
• If you have kids, a pair of ear muffs or headphones will help to muffle the noise during the worst of the storm.
• No-one wants to be running out to the shed in pelting rain to dig out the handy items now: duct tape, zip ties, tarps, old towels, rope and candles.
• If you have pets, stock up on food as well as litter boxes. You can also add some Rescue Remedy to their water if they are stressed by storms.
• If it looks like the impact could be severe, take photos of every room in the house and outdoors as well. It’ll be handy if you need to make an insurance claim for any damage.
• Have you lived through a cyclone? Share you tips to get through safely.