Bowen residents will face full fury of Cyclone Debbie

CYCLONE Debbie is about to make landfall and she has Bowen set firmly in her sights. The Queensland town should be hit before 2pm.

POWER has been cut to Bowen as Cyclone Debbie makes landfall between the town and Airlie Beach on the North Queensland coast.

Heavy rain and strong winds are already lashing Bowen which is where Debbie will make landfall early Tuesday afternoon.

The monster category four storm was originally expected to hit the town by between 9am and 12pm, but the storm system stalled overnight which delayed its arrival until this afternoon.

The Bureau of Meteorology and police have confirmed Cyclone Debbie made landfall between Bowen and Airlie Beach, bringing winds roaring like a freight train.

Many of the 10,000 Bowen residents live in homes built before 1985. Older homes aren’t as strong as ones built in later years — and the town’s cyclone shelter can’t take any more people as it has capacity of only 800.

4:10 am. Vigorous rainband blasting through #Bowen. #Cyclone #DEBBIE pic.twitter.com/zzsIWz9FVq

— Josh Morgerman (@iCyclone) March 27, 2017

6 am. So close & yet so far. Core of #Cyclone #DEBBIE stuck just offshore. Rough wx in #Bowen, but nothing crazy... yet. 988.9 mb & steady. pic.twitter.com/AroiYJyWSb

— Josh Morgerman (@iCyclone) March 27, 2017

The main street of Bowen begins to feel the first effects of driving rain and strong winds of tropical cyclone Debbie, in Bowen, Nth QLD. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

A local dashes out to take a quick look out to check the area and look at the weather while they can just after dawn in the main street of Bowen. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

Evacuated local Bob Morton braces against the strong wind in Bowen. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

BOM forecaster Adam Blazak said wind was gusting at about 60km/h at Bowen at 8am (AEST), with gusts of 90km.

But that is about to get much worse.

“Over the next few hours it will ramp up...and Bowen really will be the focus of some very strong winds.”

The highest gust recorded so far was 198km/h at Hamilton Island — and that was 60-70km away from the centre of the storm that is threatening Bowen.

Mr Blazak said the townspeople will be going through a tough time. “People will have been holed up inside all night and they will have to be there all day...listening to these very strong winds and having them shaking their houses.”

Tracy Levett posted this image of her backyard in Bowen, Queensland. Permission given. Picture: Tracy Levett/Facebook

Cyclone Debbie 2017. Increasing wind gusts in Bowen. Picture: Evan Morgan

In Bowen, councillor Mike Brunker said about three to four thousand people had evacuated. For everyone else, all that was left to do was to wait the cyclone out.

Storm chaser Josh Mogerman told news.com.au the radar revealed Debbie was “wobbling quite a bit. It’s not going in a straight line...So it’s hard to say where exactly where it’s going to come ashore.”

Mr Mogerman said the worst of Debbie was still offshore, but all the signs so far pointed to an incredibly destructive storm.

“If it comes ashore at its current strength it will be a substantial system. A strong and dangerous system.”

He was impressed with how Bowen had prepared for the cyclone. “One amazing thing is at the heart of the town, a town 10,000 people, on a weekday and there’s not a person out. It’s a ghost town. People have really hunkered down and are taking it seriously, which is a good thing.”

MORE: CYCLONE DEBBIE IMPACT IMMINENT

Police say there have been no reports of injuries across the cyclone danger zone so far.

Deputy Police Commissioner Stephan Gollschewski says Debbie was maintaining intensity, ahead of what would be a very slow hit.

“It’s going to take some time to cross the coast later today. Our focus now is on the Bowen-Whitsunday area in particular, but also areas around Mackay and to the north of Bowen and the Whitsundays,” he told ABC television late on Tuesday. “In Bowen and Whitsunday, everything is locked down. People have to be inside. Our officers and emergency services have withdrawn.

At 5am, Debbie was 105 kilometres east northeast of Bowen and 75 kilometres north northeast of Hamilton Island, moving west southwest at 9km/h. The latest tracking map from the weather bureau still suggests an almost direct hit on Bowen, with the core expected to pass slightly to the south of the town early on Tuesday afternoon.

On the waterfront in #Bowen. 75mm of rain so far, 85km/h gusts. @TheTodayShow pic.twitter.com/I8K4q4uPNy

— Natalia Cooper (@Natalia_Cooper9) March 27, 2017

Tropical Cyclone Debbie is expected to hit the coast near Bowen about midday today, the latest BoM tracking map issued at 6am (Queensland time) on Tuesday, March 28, 2017 shows

Coral Coast Beachfront Holiday Park, Bowen

Bowen’s NAB took cyclone preparation to ultimate levels by boarding up their entire Herbert Street Shopfront on Monday.

Bowen man Graham Wilson spray-painted his face with a message to make people smile.–

“Cyclone Debbie bring it on Bowen is not a pussy town do your best you got,” he wrote in giant letters.

“Everybody’s on edge,” he told The Brisbane Times.

“It’s basically to put a smile on people’s faces. Bowen’s a lot bigger than Cyclone Debbie so give us what you’ve got.”

After days of warnings and a frantic few hours of bunkering down, residents from Bowen, and all the way south to Airlie Beach, Proserpine, Mackay and Sarina say weather conditions have deteriorated, as Debbie starts to flex her muscles.

One thing is certain though — everyone in the 600km danger zone face a very long, tense, and dangerous wait until Debbie has swept through.

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—additional reporting: AAP.