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| Cyclone Debbie: category four storm due to hit Queensland coast – live updates | Cyclone Debbie: category four storm due to hit Queensland coast – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 12.48am BST | |
| 00:48 | |
| The James Cook University’s cyclone testing station is seeking to learn from Cyclone Bettie. | |
| The centre’s director, David Henderson, said his staff had placed wind measurement devices on homes up and down the coast, to test how the buildings cope with long-lasting, turbulent conditions. | |
| Researchers are continually learning from cyclones and improving building standards. After Cyclone Yasi in 2011, researchers realised that garage doors needed to be more resistant to damaging winds. | |
| “I guess there’s always things to learn,” Henderson told the ABC. | |
| “Say, after Cyclone Yasi, we worked with the industry and got some changes in there on garage doors, so now there’s legislated that garage doors in cyclone regions have to be cyclone-safe,” he said. | |
| “[There] may be other things coming out of this one as well.” | |
| Daniel McMahon sent in this pic of the view at Hamilton Island #CycloneDebbie pic.twitter.com/M9hkWUjEzZ | |
| 12.37am BST | |
| 00:37 | |
| Joshua Robertson | |
| Tony Fontes is a dive tourism operator in Airlie Beach who lives about 500m from the ocean “but you can’t see it”. | |
| “It’s a whiteout. You can’t see much, just a lot of rain.” | |
| Fontes said he expected Cyclone Debbie would be a mixed development for the Great Barrier Reef. | |
| Coral would locally be damaged but the stir of water would cool sea surface temperatures currently causing mass bleaching across the broader reef. | |
| “Locally we’ve seen cyclone damage to the reef before and it is awful,” he said. | |
| “Locally it’s a disaster but reef-wide it’s a good thing – I guess that’s the best way to look at it.” | |
| Bunkering down from the cyclone was “very exciting - actually it is bloody scary”, he said. Lots of large tree branches crashing on the house roof and steadily rising water.” | |
| The debris was all vegetation so far, Fontes said: “We’ve got some very large gum trees in the area and the tops are all snapping off and coming down.” | |
| Power had been out since around 11pm on Monday and the Telstra landline phone and National Broadband Network followed, Fontes said. | |
| He was passing the time with a torch and a puzzle, between periodic dashes outside to clear debris to stop flooding around his house. | |
| “You just get tired of looking out the window and then about every two hours you run outside and clear the debris away so the water can keep flowing – and then you look out the window again.” | |
| 12.33am BST | |
| 00:33 | |
| Vision continues to emerge from Hamilton Island, which is being hit by wind gusts of more than 200km/h. Visitors to the popular tourist destination largely get around on golf buggies. This video, from Twitter user Elisa Clements, shows a buggy flipped by the destructive winds. | |
| Golf buggy down +200km wind #hamiltonisland #cyclonedebbie pic.twitter.com/wB3balxycT | |
| 12.28am BST | |
| 00:28 | |
| Almost 400 schools and child care centres in far north Queensland have been closed.The state government said 131 state schools, 49 Catholic and independent schools, and 211 early childhood centres have shut their doors from north of Townsville to south of Proserpine. | |
| 12.25am BST | |
| 00:25 | |
| I mentioned early that Hamilton Island had experienced wind gusts of 222km/h. Let’s put that in perspective. Hamilton Island has not experienced winds that strong for 15 years, according to Fairfax’s WeatherZone. | |
| Hamilton Island's wind gust of 222km/h at 8:12am is their strongest in at least 15 years #CycloneDebbie | |
| 12.14am BST | 12.14am BST |
| 00:14 | 00:14 |
| 23,000 homes without power as Cyclone Debbie approaches | 23,000 homes without power as Cyclone Debbie approaches |
| There is further information to hand about power outages along the coast. Ergon Energy says that 23,000 homes are now without power, mostly in Mackay and the Whitsundays. More homes will lose power as the cyclone makes landfall. | There is further information to hand about power outages along the coast. Ergon Energy says that 23,000 homes are now without power, mostly in Mackay and the Whitsundays. More homes will lose power as the cyclone makes landfall. |
| Ergon Energy’s communications manager, John Fowler, said power would not be restored today. He said it was difficult to estimate when power may return. | Ergon Energy’s communications manager, John Fowler, said power would not be restored today. He said it was difficult to estimate when power may return. |
| “Depends on the extent of damage to our network, where the damage is, and our ability to access the damage to make repairs and get that power back on,” Fowler said. | “Depends on the extent of damage to our network, where the damage is, and our ability to access the damage to make repairs and get that power back on,” Fowler said. |
| “But we certainly wouldn’t expect any power restoration today, given the cyclonic winds and it is simply too dangerous to get our crews out there to even look at restoration work.” | “But we certainly wouldn’t expect any power restoration today, given the cyclonic winds and it is simply too dangerous to get our crews out there to even look at restoration work.” |
| You can find out more about the affected areas here. | You can find out more about the affected areas here. |
| Bowen, pictured below, still has power for the most part. | Bowen, pictured below, still has power for the most part. |
| 8:35 am. Picking up... slowly. Winds strong but not destructive yet in #Bowen. 986 mb & finally dropping! #Cyclone #DEBBIE pic.twitter.com/FGoAWxz00l | 8:35 am. Picking up... slowly. Winds strong but not destructive yet in #Bowen. 986 mb & finally dropping! #Cyclone #DEBBIE pic.twitter.com/FGoAWxz00l |
| 12.05am BST | 12.05am BST |
| 00:05 | 00:05 |
| The worst of the cyclone is still being felt in the Whitsundays. | The worst of the cyclone is still being felt in the Whitsundays. |
| Twitter user @sfdansmith captured this extraordinary footage from his room in the Reef View Hotel on Hamilton Island. | Twitter user @sfdansmith captured this extraordinary footage from his room in the Reef View Hotel on Hamilton Island. |
| In the feeder bands #CycloneDebbie #HamiltonIsland pic.twitter.com/JrraqXug24 | In the feeder bands #CycloneDebbie #HamiltonIsland pic.twitter.com/JrraqXug24 |
| 11.58pm BST | 11.58pm BST |
| 23:58 | 23:58 |
| Mackay and other areas south of the cyclone are now in low tide. But the cyclone will see a storm tide of 1.5m above normal levels. That will create problems over the next few hours, when the cyclone makes landfall and the high tide returns. | Mackay and other areas south of the cyclone are now in low tide. But the cyclone will see a storm tide of 1.5m above normal levels. That will create problems over the next few hours, when the cyclone makes landfall and the high tide returns. |
| The Bureau of Meteorology’s Adam Morgan said the tide was a significant risk to the safety of residents. | The Bureau of Meteorology’s Adam Morgan said the tide was a significant risk to the safety of residents. |
| “When we add high tide plus that 1.5m, we could see flooding and inundation across low-lying areas,” Morgan told Channel 10. | “When we add high tide plus that 1.5m, we could see flooding and inundation across low-lying areas,” Morgan told Channel 10. |
| #StormTide from #CycloneDebbie increasing at #LagunaQuays and #Mackay. Dangerous stormtide possible, crossing near high tide. Source: DSITI pic.twitter.com/XbXyyJfBnR | #StormTide from #CycloneDebbie increasing at #LagunaQuays and #Mackay. Dangerous stormtide possible, crossing near high tide. Source: DSITI pic.twitter.com/XbXyyJfBnR |
| 11.46pm BST | 11.46pm BST |
| 23:46 | 23:46 |
| Listen to the screeching winds audible in this video from Hamilton Island. The bureau’s latest observations record winds of 180km/h and gusts of 222km/h on Hamilton. | Listen to the screeching winds audible in this video from Hamilton Island. The bureau’s latest observations record winds of 180km/h and gusts of 222km/h on Hamilton. |
| Hour 5 and winds STILL picking up on Hamilton Island as #CycloneDebbie crawls to coast, building shaking windows smashing @sunriseon7 pic.twitter.com/IfoMMbgcLX | Hour 5 and winds STILL picking up on Hamilton Island as #CycloneDebbie crawls to coast, building shaking windows smashing @sunriseon7 pic.twitter.com/IfoMMbgcLX |
| 11.40pm BST | 11.40pm BST |
| 23:40 | 23:40 |
| Whitsunday regional council mayor, Andrew Wilcox, is reporting horizontal, torrential rain outside his home. He said 11,000 homes in his region were without power. | Whitsunday regional council mayor, Andrew Wilcox, is reporting horizontal, torrential rain outside his home. He said 11,000 homes in his region were without power. |
| Wilcox told the ABC that people should not venture outside, and that “there is nowhere to go anyway”. | Wilcox told the ABC that people should not venture outside, and that “there is nowhere to go anyway”. |
| “Unfortunately, Debbie isn’t playing the game,” Wilcox said. | “Unfortunately, Debbie isn’t playing the game,” Wilcox said. |
| “She’s sort of slowed down out there so she can just keep smashing us. What would be ideal is for her to either, one, go away, but if not come straight across quite quickly, but, yeah, Debbie isn’t playing the game here,” he said. | “She’s sort of slowed down out there so she can just keep smashing us. What would be ideal is for her to either, one, go away, but if not come straight across quite quickly, but, yeah, Debbie isn’t playing the game here,” he said. |
| Wilcox has also warned the cyclone could hit the Whitsundays’ tourist-dependant economy. | Wilcox has also warned the cyclone could hit the Whitsundays’ tourist-dependant economy. |
| “The good thing about it is the Whitsundays is resilient. The people here are very resilient,” he said. | “The good thing about it is the Whitsundays is resilient. The people here are very resilient,” he said. |
| “This will be a minor hiccup. We will get in, do the clean-up, and it will be an another wonderful Whitsunday welcome for people to come and visit. | “This will be a minor hiccup. We will get in, do the clean-up, and it will be an another wonderful Whitsunday welcome for people to come and visit. |
| The region’s Nationals MP, George Christensen, agreed there would be “economic damage, without a doubt”. Christensen urged tourists not to cancel plans to travel to the region after Cyclone Debbie had passed. | The region’s Nationals MP, George Christensen, agreed there would be “economic damage, without a doubt”. Christensen urged tourists not to cancel plans to travel to the region after Cyclone Debbie had passed. |
| “Don’t cancel it, please come, because these businesses and the locals will be needing that inome in the region,” he told Channel 10. | “Don’t cancel it, please come, because these businesses and the locals will be needing that inome in the region,” he told Channel 10. |
| “And you’ll still be seeing a picture-perfect place because cyclones only hang around for a few days.” | “And you’ll still be seeing a picture-perfect place because cyclones only hang around for a few days.” |
| And here’s the latest graphic plotting the movement of Cyclone Debbie. Its core should make landfall just south of Bowen after midday. | And here’s the latest graphic plotting the movement of Cyclone Debbie. Its core should make landfall just south of Bowen after midday. |
| Category 4 #CycloneDebbie moving WSW towards the coast. Crossing expected after midday. Latest warnings: https://t.co/YTkwbdYNGp pic.twitter.com/XTSRhaMbjW | Category 4 #CycloneDebbie moving WSW towards the coast. Crossing expected after midday. Latest warnings: https://t.co/YTkwbdYNGp pic.twitter.com/XTSRhaMbjW |
| 11.27pm BST | 11.27pm BST |
| 23:27 | 23:27 |
| Power outages reported across Far North Queensland coast | Power outages reported across Far North Queensland coast |
| There are reports of power outages already affecting the coast. Ergon Energy’s outage finder reports power lost to thousands of homes in Mackay, Airlie Beach, Bowen, and other nearby areas. | There are reports of power outages already affecting the coast. Ergon Energy’s outage finder reports power lost to thousands of homes in Mackay, Airlie Beach, Bowen, and other nearby areas. |
| Minor flooding has also begun in Mackay. | Minor flooding has also begun in Mackay. |
| Low level flooding just starting in #Mackay. Ducks are happy. #TCDebbie @abcnews pic.twitter.com/VFREE8lbm5 | Low level flooding just starting in #Mackay. Ducks are happy. #TCDebbie @abcnews pic.twitter.com/VFREE8lbm5 |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 11.27pm BST | at 11.27pm BST |
| 11.22pm BST | 11.22pm BST |
| 23:22 | 23:22 |
| Journalists covering the approach of Cyclone Debbie have been criticised for ignoring warnings to stay inside. | Journalists covering the approach of Cyclone Debbie have been criticised for ignoring warnings to stay inside. |
| Whitsunday Shire councillor, Mike Brunker, says television journalists covering Cyclone Debbie should “pull their heads in” and stay indoors for safety’s sake. | Whitsunday Shire councillor, Mike Brunker, says television journalists covering Cyclone Debbie should “pull their heads in” and stay indoors for safety’s sake. |
| Brunker, who lives in Bowen and is also a former mayor of the region, said reporters were venturing outside against the advice of emergency services. | Brunker, who lives in Bowen and is also a former mayor of the region, said reporters were venturing outside against the advice of emergency services. |
| He said anyone venturing outside was putting themselves in harm’s way. | He said anyone venturing outside was putting themselves in harm’s way. |
| “If a sign flies off a guide post in 120km winds it’ll just cut your head off and if that happens on live TV, how would you feel?” | “If a sign flies off a guide post in 120km winds it’ll just cut your head off and if that happens on live TV, how would you feel?” |
| He called on broadcasters to take more care for their own sake and the sake of the public. | He called on broadcasters to take more care for their own sake and the sake of the public. |
| “You’ve got one goose down on the front beach here at Bowen, standing there getting blown away and people go for a drive then and go see where they are,” Brunker told AAP. | “You’ve got one goose down on the front beach here at Bowen, standing there getting blown away and people go for a drive then and go see where they are,” Brunker told AAP. |
| Nine reporter unable to give opinions of locals as everyone's inside.Take a hint dude and get out of it #CycloneDebbie #TCDebbie pic.twitter.com/YHFgILmZRc | Nine reporter unable to give opinions of locals as everyone's inside.Take a hint dude and get out of it #CycloneDebbie #TCDebbie pic.twitter.com/YHFgILmZRc |
| TV reporter standing outside: "Stay indoors". #TCDebbie | TV reporter standing outside: "Stay indoors". #TCDebbie |
| 11.17pm BST | 11.17pm BST |
| 23:17 | 23:17 |
| This morning’s first satellite images of Cyclone Debbie are beginning to emerge from Japan’s Himawari series of satellites. | This morning’s first satellite images of Cyclone Debbie are beginning to emerge from Japan’s Himawari series of satellites. |
| The images are being updated every 10 minutes, and you can follow them here, or, for better quality, at this link. | The images are being updated every 10 minutes, and you can follow them here, or, for better quality, at this link. |
| First visible #satellite images from #Himawari of #CycloneDebbie as the sun rises over eastern #Queensland. https://t.co/l3kCoJ1bPD pic.twitter.com/uXvNlCly8W | First visible #satellite images from #Himawari of #CycloneDebbie as the sun rises over eastern #Queensland. https://t.co/l3kCoJ1bPD pic.twitter.com/uXvNlCly8W |
| 11.11pm BST | 11.11pm BST |
| 23:11 | 23:11 |
| The Bureau of Meteorology’s latest update says the eye wall of Cyclone Debbie is beginning to impact on parts of the Whitsunday Islands. The cyclone is inching towards the coast at a slow 6km/h, the bureau said. It is currently 85km east-northeast of Bowen and 60km north of Hamilton Island, and is forecast to make landfall between Ayr and Midge Point about midday. Incredibly, 194mm of rainfall has been recorded at Strathdickie, near Proserpine, in one hour. | The Bureau of Meteorology’s latest update says the eye wall of Cyclone Debbie is beginning to impact on parts of the Whitsunday Islands. The cyclone is inching towards the coast at a slow 6km/h, the bureau said. It is currently 85km east-northeast of Bowen and 60km north of Hamilton Island, and is forecast to make landfall between Ayr and Midge Point about midday. Incredibly, 194mm of rainfall has been recorded at Strathdickie, near Proserpine, in one hour. |
| Wind gusts of 200km/h have been recorded at Hamilton Island airport. | Wind gusts of 200km/h have been recorded at Hamilton Island airport. |
| Eight metre waves have been recorded near Mackay, according to Nine. | Eight metre waves have been recorded near Mackay, according to Nine. |
| #CycloneDebbie MACKAY: There have been 8 metre waves recorded off local beaches due to the serious weather system. #9News pic.twitter.com/Nibb0tZK63 | #CycloneDebbie MACKAY: There have been 8 metre waves recorded off local beaches due to the serious weather system. #9News pic.twitter.com/Nibb0tZK63 |
| 10.57pm BST | 10.57pm BST |
| 22:57 | 22:57 |
| Police commissioner warns worst yet to come | Police commissioner warns worst yet to come |
| Queensland’s police commissioner, Ian Stewart, is warning the worst of Cyclone Debbie is yet to come. Stewart said the cyclone is moving very slowly, and its destructive core is still to pass over the coast. He also warned residents to prepare for a long day inside. | Queensland’s police commissioner, Ian Stewart, is warning the worst of Cyclone Debbie is yet to come. Stewart said the cyclone is moving very slowly, and its destructive core is still to pass over the coast. He also warned residents to prepare for a long day inside. |
| “The main core area of the cyclone - so that’s the area with the very, very high and destructive winds - really has not passed generally over the coast,” Stewart told the ABC. | “The main core area of the cyclone - so that’s the area with the very, very high and destructive winds - really has not passed generally over the coast,” Stewart told the ABC. |
| “It’s tucked right on the edge of the coast and certainly places like Proserpine, Airlie Beach, the islands, Hayman, Hamilton, all of those,” he said. | “It’s tucked right on the edge of the coast and certainly places like Proserpine, Airlie Beach, the islands, Hayman, Hamilton, all of those,” he said. |
| “They would feel the full force of those winds, but the main core has not yet passed directly onto the coast and that’s when we’re going to see those sustained, destructive winds for many, many hours.” | “They would feel the full force of those winds, but the main core has not yet passed directly onto the coast and that’s when we’re going to see those sustained, destructive winds for many, many hours.” |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 10.57pm BST | at 10.57pm BST |
| 10.45pm BST | 10.45pm BST |
| 22:45 | 22:45 |
| Bureau of Meteorology forecaster, Adam Morgan, has urged residents in the cyclone’s path to stay inside. He said in Hamilton Island, peak wind gusts of 189km/h have been recorded. Incredibly strong winds of more than 100km/h have been recorded continuously since 9pm Monday. | Bureau of Meteorology forecaster, Adam Morgan, has urged residents in the cyclone’s path to stay inside. He said in Hamilton Island, peak wind gusts of 189km/h have been recorded. Incredibly strong winds of more than 100km/h have been recorded continuously since 9pm Monday. |
| #CycloneDebbie: Powerful winds at Hamilton Island. Cyclone Debbie forecast to make landfall around 1pm. #9News https://t.co/Ieil70NjWw pic.twitter.com/K2A2qXQIpS | #CycloneDebbie: Powerful winds at Hamilton Island. Cyclone Debbie forecast to make landfall around 1pm. #9News https://t.co/Ieil70NjWw pic.twitter.com/K2A2qXQIpS |
| Mackay has seen category one strength winds, Morgan said, and areas west of the town have experienced 400mm of rainfall. Morgan repeated warnings that residents should not go outside, even when they think the worst has passed. | Mackay has seen category one strength winds, Morgan said, and areas west of the town have experienced 400mm of rainfall. Morgan repeated warnings that residents should not go outside, even when they think the worst has passed. |
| “The strongest winds are on the outside of the eye. That eye, as I heard mentioned, may take a while to cross,” he said. | “The strongest winds are on the outside of the eye. That eye, as I heard mentioned, may take a while to cross,” he said. |
| “This is a dangerous period of time. People should not go outside because winds will quickly pick up from exactly the same strength that fastest winds were but from the opposition direction. | “This is a dangerous period of time. People should not go outside because winds will quickly pick up from exactly the same strength that fastest winds were but from the opposition direction. |
| “Don’t go outside during the eye and stay in shelter, even once the eye of the cyclone passes.” | “Don’t go outside during the eye and stay in shelter, even once the eye of the cyclone passes.” |