Category 4 Cyclone Debbie to Smash Queensland Within Hours

555 Severe Tropical Cyclone Debbie is close to 800 km wide and the eye fluctuating at 50-75km wide, with speeds recorded at up to 270+km/h offshore, approx 10km/h short of a Category 5 cyclone. The cyclone is currently moving at approximately 12km/h towards the Queensland coastline and expected to hit Midday QLD time. Hamilton Island is just off the coast of QLD and currently being hit by 180+km/h winds with the storm expected to intensify as it moves closer to the mainland. As the storm is moving slowly, towns are expected to be hit by intense winds for up to 8-10 hours at a time. Not only have shops been cleared of food, but bottle shops (liquor outlets) have been doing a roaring trade as Queenslanders buy up beer and spirits, many for "cyclone parties" The Bureau of Meteorology expects the storm to intensify and a tidal surge of 6-8 meters. RADAR

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