Queensland Residents are being warned to prepare for the worst storm to pummel the state since Cyclone Yasi in 2011, which ripped homes from their foundations and devastated crops. "This is going to be a nasty cyclone," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Times of India.</s>Cyclone Debbie has covered Queensland streets with so much sea foam that some are calling it 'tropical snow.'

Strong winds and enormous waves have whipped up large amounts of sea foam in the city of Mackay.

Waves up to eight meters high combined with 260km/h winds have spread thick layers of foam along the coast, 9 News reported.

'Waves this big are quite rare. They haven't happened for at least a couple of years,' Weatherzone forecaster Brett Dutschke said.

Social media footage of Sarina Beach, south of Mackay, shows the beach and adjacent road covered in sea foam whipped up by the churning waters.

This is only the fourth time waves of this size have been recorded in the area.

They are expected to settle down on Tuesday afternoon, but they foam could hang around for days.

Local resident Felicity Mackintosh said trees and falling branches were her main concern.

'Trees are going to fall over because everything's waterlogged,' she said.

The BoM is forecasting between 300-400mm of rain to fall across the Mackay region on Tuesday with possibly another 400mm forecast for Wednesday.

Ergon Energy says around 34,000 customers have lost power mainly in the communities of Airlie Beach, Cannonvale, Proserpine, Bowen, Mackay and the northern beaches of Mackay.

Hundreds of workers are on standby to restore power but won't begin their work until conditions are safe enough to do so.</s>Wind gusts stronger than 160 mph were recorded at tourist resorts along the world-famous Great Barrier Reef as the powerful storm, at category four just one rung below the most dangerous wind speed level, began to make landfall. No injuries had been reported so far but the storm was travelling southwest so slowly that weather forecasters said cyclone conditions could persist for as long as 24 hours. "It's very noisy: Screaming, howling wind ... sounds like a freight train," Jan Clifford said by text from Airlie Beach, about 590 miles northwest of the state capital, Brisbane.

Authorities had urged thousands of people in low-lying areas to flee their homes yesterday, in what would be the biggest evacuation seen in Australia since Cyclone Tracy devastated the northern city of Darwin on Christmas Day, 1974. Cyclone Debbie made landfall at Airlie Beach shortly after midday local time (0200 GMT), knocking out telephone services. Torrential rain flooded streets and wind smashed windows, uprooted trees and tossed debris through streets, while jetties at Airlie Beach marina were wrecked, pictures broadcast on Nine Network television showed.

Power was cut for 38,000 people in a wide area between the towns of Bowen and Mackay, north and south of Airlie Beach, utility Ergon Energy said. Ports at Abbot Point, Mackay and Hay Point were shut, Townsville airport was closed and airlines Qantas, Jetstar, Rex and Virgin Australia cancelled several flights to and from the region. BHP Billiton and Glencore halted work at their coal mines in the storm's path.

The cyclone had earlier swept through the Whitsunday islands further east, where tourist resorts were damaged and boats torn from moorings, guests told Reuters by phone. Television pictures showed churning seas had washed away once-idyllic beaches. Cyclone Debbie is the most powerful storm to hit Queensland since Cyclone Yasi destroyed homes and crops and devastated island resorts in 2011. "The eye itself is probably 30 miles across," said senior forecaster Adam Blazak.

A tidal surge was expected to flood low-lying areas near Mackay as the storm whipped up waves and currents and lifted sea levels. Authorities said it was too dangerous to venture outside and assess damage. Emergency response crews were also hunkered down until the storm blew over. "It is going to take a long time, well into this afternoon and to the evening before these winds even start to die down," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television. Holidaymakers tried to make the best of it as they bunkered down in resort buildings.</s>After battering the Whitsunday Islands, Category 4 Cyclone Debbie made landfall in Australia's northern Queensland Tuesday, bringing strong winds and the threat of storm surges.

Residents in the coastal town of Bowen, which is in the direct path of the cyclone, were being warned to stay indoors and " bunker down ." About 34,000 residents in the area have lost power, according to government owned energy provider Ergon Energy.

The day before, Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had called in the country's defense force to assist in emergency response and 25,000 people living in north Queensland had been told to evacuate in preparation for what could be the worst storm to hit the coast since Cyclone Yasi in 2011, the Guardian reports .

“Don’t wait until tomorrow because you will not be able to move probably past midnight tonight,” Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said in a briefing Monday.

Cyclone Debbie is expected to trigger tidal surges that could inundate the low-lying coastal areas, and officials have warned of flooding and potential damage to buildings. “We do believe there will be significant structural damage, significant flooding. There will be electrical wires down and the community just need to ride out this storm,” The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services deputy minster, Mark Roche, said.

The cyclone passed over the Whitsunday Islands early Tuesday morning local time, hammering the island of Hamilton with wind speeds of up to 263km per hour. "The winds are absolutely howling, it sounds like a freight train coming through or a jet engine right on top of you just screaming," a reporter on Hamilton Island told the Sydney Morning Herald .</s>The storm is set to intensify from a category three to category four cyclone before it makes landfall near the town of Ayr on Tuesday morning local time (late Monday ET).

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Monday morning that 3,500 residents had already been evacuated.

A further 2,000 people have been ordered to evacuate in the Bowen area, as the cyclone has tracked further south than originally predicted, she added.

Some residents are refusing to leave their home, Palaszczuk said, with police going door to door Monday in a final attempt to get people to safety. "This is going to be a nasty cyclone," Palaszczuk told press Monday morning. "There is no time for complacency ... the window of opportunity to leave is drastically closing. I am just pleading to everyone, please, listen to authorities. This is about your safety, it is about the safety of your family and the safety of your children." Cyclone Debbie is the largest storm to hit Queensland since the category five cyclone Yasi in 2011, which ripped homes from their foundations and destroyed farmland. Debbie could end up being as severe as Yasi, Palaszczuk warned Monday. John D Ginger, research director at the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University, said that coastal buildings were most at risk. "Houses in low-lying coastal regions ... and are subjected to storm surge, will be vulnerable to significant damage," he said. The timing of cyclone Debbie's expected landfall coincides with a 12-foot (3.65-meter) high tide in Bowen, one of the highest tides of the year, according to CNN affiliate 7 News. "If you are in a storm surge zone and you are directed to leave -- you must leave. You cannot shelter from a storm surge," Queensland police tweeted Monday. If you are in a storm surge zone and you are directed to leave - you must leave. You cannot shelter from a storm surge. #CycloneDebbie — QPS Media Unit (@QPSmedia) March 27, 2017 The severe weather has already claimed the life of a 31-year-old woman after dangerous conditions were linked to a fatal car crash Sunday night near the town of Proserpine, Queensland police commissioner Ian Stewart said. Over 1,000 emergency service workers have been sent to the region in preparation, and all schools remain closed until further notice, 7 News reported.</s>TOWNSVILLE, Australia (AP) - A powerful cyclone lashed islands, damaged roofs and cut power on Tuesday as it edged toward Australia's tropical northeast coast, officials said.

Category 4 cyclone Debbie brought winds gusting to 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour) and torrential rain to the Whitsunday Islands, a popular tourist destination off the Queensland state coast southeast of the city of Bowen, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement.

The eye of the storm was expected to cross the coast later Tuesday.

Deputy Police Commissioner Stephan Gollschewski said reports of damage were starting to come in.

"We're getting some reports already of roofs starting to lift, including at some of our own facilities in the Whitsundays," Gollschewski told Australian Broadcasting Corp. television.

He warned people in Debbie's path that they would be holed up for the entire day on Tuesday and could expect significant flooding in inland areas.

Whitsundays Regional Council Mayor Andrew Willcox said authorities had received 98 requests for help and had responded to most of them. He said 10,000 premises had lost electricity.

"The cyclone is impacting across the whole region, not just the islands," Willcox said. "The severity of Debbie, unfortunately, hasn't been felt yet."

Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said communities along more than 300 kilometers (200 miles) of coastline would be impacted from Ayr to south of Mackay.

Thousands of people began evacuating low-lying areas in Debbie's path on Monday.</s>The MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured a visible image of powerful Tropical Cyclone Debbie on March 27 at 0350 UTC (March 26 at 11:50 p.m. EST/1:50 p.m. AEST Queensland local time) as its eye approached the coast of eastern Queensland. Debbie's eye appeared cloud-filled and while still at sea, was almost parallel to Townsville.

The image showed powerful bands of thunderstorms wrapping around the low level center, and strongest storms in the western quadrant stretched along the coast from Townsville in the north, south to Mackay. The southernmost extent of the storm was near Bundaberg.

On March 27, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology or ABM warned "Severe tropical cyclone Debbie, category 4, continues moving towards the Whitsunday coast." The Australian categorization is equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which ranges from 96 to 110 mph (83 to 95 knots/154 to 177 kph).

NOAA's National Hurricane Center notes that a storm with this intensity has "extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage: Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads. Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days to weeks."

ABM's Warning Zone includes Lucinda to St Lawrence, including Townsville, Mackay, and the Whitsunday Islands, extending inland to Charters Towers, Mount Coolon, Moranbah, and Pentland.

At 11 a.m. EST on March 27 (or 1 a.m. AEST/Australia on March 28) Debbie's maximum sustained winds were near 175 kph (108.7 mph/ 94.5 knots). Debbie was centered near 19.8 degrees south latitude and 149.6 degrees east longitude. That's about 140 kilometers (87 miles) north-northeast of Mackay. Debbie was moving west-southwest at 8 kph (5 mph/4.3 knots).

ABM said "Severe tropical cyclone Debbie is currently a category 4 cyclone. It may intensify further as it continues to move west-southwest towards the Whitsunday coast this morning [March 28 AEST local time]. Severe tropical cyclone Debbie is forecast to make landfall between Ayr and Cape Hillsborough (north of Mackay) late this morning [March 28 AEST local time]."</s>The storm is set to intensify from a category three to category four cyclone before it makes landfall near the town of Ayr on Tuesday morning local time (late Monday ET).

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Monday morning that 3,500 residents had already been evacuated.

A further 2,000 people have been ordered to evacuate in the Bowen area, as the cyclone has tracked further south than originally predicted, she added.

Some residents are refusing to leave their home, Palaszczuk said, with police going door to door Monday in a final attempt to get people to safety. "This is going to be a nasty cyclone," Palaszczuk told press Monday morning. "There is no time for complacency ... the window of opportunity to leave is drastically closing. I am just pleading to everyone, please, listen to authorities. This is about your safety, it is about the safety of your family and the safety of your children." Cyclone Debbie is the largest storm to hit Queensland since the category five cyclone Yasi in 2011, which ripped homes from their foundations and destroyed farmland. Debbie could end up being as severe as Yasi, Palaszczuk warned Monday. John D Ginger, research director at the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University, said that coastal buildings were most at risk. "Houses in low-lying coastal regions ... and are subjected to storm surge, will be vulnerable to significant damage," he said. The timing of cyclone Debbie's expected landfall coincides with a 12-foot (3.65-meter) high tide in Bowen, one of the highest tides of the year, according to CNN affiliate 7 News. "If you are in a storm surge zone and you are directed to leave -- you must leave. You cannot shelter from a storm surge," Queensland police tweeted Monday. If you are in a storm surge zone and you are directed to leave - you must leave. You cannot shelter from a storm surge. #CycloneDebbie — QPS Media Unit (@QPSmedia) March 27, 2017 The severe weather has already claimed the life of a 31-year-old woman after dangerous conditions were linked to a fatal car crash Sunday night near the town of Proserpine, Queensland police commissioner Ian Stewart said. Over 1,000 emergency service workers have been sent to the region in preparation, and all schools remain closed until further notice, 7 News reported.</s>Angry clouds warn of Cyclone Debbie which has been forming off the coast of Queensland state over recent days and is expected to make landfall today.

TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA Thousands of people, including tourists, were evacuated yesterday, as northeast Australia braced for a powerful cyclone packing destructive winds, with warnings of major structural damage and surging tides.

Cyclone Debbie has been forming off the coast of Queensland state over recent days, the Bureau of Meteorology said, and is expected to make landfall as a category-four storm - on a scale of five - after daybreak today.

Residents, who have been sandbagging and boarding up homes, were told to prepare for the worst storm to pummel the state since Cyclone Yasi in 2011, which ripped houses from their foundations and devastated crops.

"This is going to be a nasty cyclone," said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, adding that structural damage and power outages were likely.

"These wind gusts are going to be absolutely huge and my primary concern is making sure that families are safe."

So far more than 3,500 people have been evacuated between the towns of Home Hill and Proserpine, around 100km south of Townsville, a tourist hotspot used to access the Great Barrier Reef.

Another 2,000 in the coastal town of Bowen were also on the move, Ms Palaszczuk said, with cyclone shelters available for those with nowhere else to go.

Thousands more in low-lying areas of Mackay were urged to head for higher ground amid fears the storm could cause a tidal surge up to 2.5 metres.

Debbie is currently a category three cyclone, but is expected to build to a four by the time it crosses land somewhere between Townsville and Proserpine, with wind gusts of up 280 kmh near the centre, the meteorology bureau said.

"Storm surge is also a risk factor and, if the cyclone crosses the coast around high tide, this will enhance these effects," it said.

Local ports and more than 100 schools have been closed.

Ms Palaszczuk pleaded with residents to do as emergency service personnel asked, amid reports some were refusing to leave, an appeal echoed by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

"If you have received an official evacuation order, you and your family must leave immediately," he said.

The federal government said it was ready to provide immediate assistance in the aftermath, with a disaster relief ship en route from Sydney and navy helicopters and planes on standby.

"We are ready and able to respond to this emergency in support of civilian emergency authorities and the residents of northeastern Queensland once the full impact of Debbie is known," said Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin.</s>As Tropical Cyclone Debbie strengthens off the coast near Townsville in north Queensland, residents are being warned to prepare for the worst storm to hit the state since Cyclone Yasi in 2011.

Follow all the updates in our live blog or read the full story.
More than 25,000 people are evacuated from the city of Mackay, Queensland, ahead of Cyclone Debbie which is expected to make landfall in northern Queensland tomorrow. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology warns that Cyclone Debbie will be the worst storm to hit Queensland since Cyclone Yasi in 2011.