THE SITUATION WITH CYCLONE DEBBIE
Where is she?
At 11am (AEST) on Monday the Bureau of Meteorology indicated Debbie was about 375km east of Townsville and 250km east northeast of Bowen.
Where's she heading?
Debbie is moving south-southwest at 7km/h towards the north Queensland coast with a forecast landfall south of Bowen on Tuesday morning.
What's her status?
Debbie is a category 3 with sustained winds near the centre of 120km/h and gusts up to 165km/h. She is expected to make landfall about 8am Tuesday as a category 4.
What are the dangers?
The cyclone could measure up to 100km across with wind gusts potentially up to 240km/h near the centre. Abnormally high tides up to 4m are expected along the coast between Proserpine and Mackay on Monday.
What's the advice?
About 3500 residents from Home Hill to Proserpine have been evacuated and 2000 residents in Bowen will be asked to leave. Buses are running from Home Hill and Ayr to Cairns. Shelters are open in Bowen and Proserpine and can accommodate up to 700 people. Other areas are being advised to evacuate voluntarily. People outside the immediate path of the cyclone are being advised to consider what action to take if the situation changes.
What are emergency services doing?
An extra 25 paramedics have been deployed to the area. About 600 hospital beds are available in the region. More than 800 staff from Energy Queensland are ready to help restore lost power.
What will be affected?
Bowen produces 95 per cent of Australia's fresh capsicums and 90 per cent of Australia's tomatoes for consumption during September and October. Other commodities grown in the region include beans, corn, melons, mangoes and pumpkin.
