Urgent warnings issued as Cyclone Debbie gathers pace

Cyclone Debbie is forecast to turn into a Category 4 storm and could reach Category 5, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) in Queensland has warned.

The BOM Queensland warned that the cyclone, currently a Category 1 storm as it sits off the coast of north Queensland, is expected to increase to Category 4 as it approaches land. The storm currently has wind gusts at its centre of as high as 95 kilometres an hour.

BOM Queensland regional director Bruce Gunn said today the cyclone was currently likely to make landfall on Monday night or early Tuesday morning.

He said was possible Cyclone Debbie would intensify to a Category 5 storm if it spent longer over the warm waters of the Coral Sea. “I can’t rule that out, but at the moment our estimate is for a Category 4 system,” he said.

Gunn cautioned that even a Category 4 storm meant winds above 200km/hr that could cause major structural damage.

“Caravans are a big risk and could easily be destroyed, dangerous airborne debris, widespread power outages, boats breaking their moorings, all of that sort of thing,” he added.

Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged families in the region to prepare for a serious storm, even though the weather currently seemed fine and clear. 

“Make sure your property is secured, your gutters are cleared, use this time to make sure you’re prepared and your emergency kits are ready,” she said today, after a meeting of the Queensland Disaster Management Committee.

Do you know what you need to pack into an Emergency Kit? Find out now, and stay calm later: https://t.co/VrVTpHPcqY pic.twitter.com/262Gr17cuu

— Qld Fire & Emergency (@QldFES) March 24, 2017

Decisions on school closures would be made on Sunday, the premier added.

BOM Queensland has warned of gales around the Whitsunday Islands, a popular holiday spot, as well as unusually high sides at least between Lucinda and Mackay on Queensland’s coast.

“Conditions are expected to favour the continued intensification of the cyclone as it approaches the coast over the weekend and into early next week,” the Queensland bureau said.

Tropical #CycloneDebbie named at 11am. Currently Cat 1, forecast to reach Cat 4. Next #Cyclone update at 5pm https://t.co/rVLE6inkt8 pic.twitter.com/SsI46I2ELS

— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) March 25, 2017

“Areas of heavy rain are expected to develop about parts of the northern and central Queensland coast and adjacent inland areas into Sunday.”

There’s already a flood watch warning for coastal areas between Cooktown and Mackay and as far inland as the eastern Gulf Rivers.

Do you live in this region? What preparations are you making for Cyclone Debbie?