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Tropical Cyclone Marcia to hit Queensland as category five system
It is due to hit between St Lawrence and Gladstone after dawn.
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So far residents in St Lawrence, Clairview, Ogmore and Marlborough have been asked to evacuate.
A very destructive central core of the cyclone could generate gusts up to 295 kilometres an hour, the Bureau of Meteorology warned.
The cyclone warning zone is between Mackay to Double Island Point, extending inland to Blackwater, Moura, Biloela, Monto, Taroom, Mundubbera, and Murgon.
Coastal and island communities between Mackay and Burnett Heads were due to begin to experience destructive winds overnight.
Once the cyclone makes landfall it is due to track south to reach Biloela as a category one system about 10:00pm.
BoM regional director Rob Webb said Cyclone Marcia started tracking south late on Thursday night.
"It was a remarkable intensification, we still do feel that it could cross as a category five," Mr Webb said.
The cyclone warning zone is between Mackay to Double Island Point, extending inland to Blackwater, Moura, Biloela, Monto, Taroom, Mundubbera, and Murgon.
Coastal and island communities between Mackay and Burnett Heads were due to begin to experience destructive winds overnight.
Once the cyclone makes landfall it is due to track south to reach Biloela as a category one system about 10:00pm..
BoM regional director Rob Webb said Cyclone Marcia started tracking south late on Thursday night.
"It was a remarkable intensification, we still do feel that it could cross as a category five," Mr Webb said.
Heavy rain may be experienced from Mackay to the New South Wales border which could cause flash flooding.
Some 24-hour totals are expected in excess of 300 millimetres on the coast and nearby ranges.
BoM regional director Rob Webb said the cyclone would dump between 200 millimetres and 300 millimetres of rain but some areas may record higher than that.
"Those falls up to 500 millimetres or more are possible," he said.
A flood watch is current for the Wide Bay and Burnett, south-east coast and the Darling Downs and Granite Belt districts.
Gladstone residents have also been warned to expect a massive storm tide at 10:00am on Friday, which is expected to be 70 centimetres above the highest tide of the year.