Queensland Ports Close ahead of Cyclone Marcia

Australia’s ports of Gladstone, Abbot Point and Mackay issued emergency alerts ahead of the Category 2 Tropical Cyclone Marcia, expected to reach Central Queensland and make landfall as a category five system on Friday, the GAC reports.

Gladstone Anchorage has been evacuated. All vessels currently in the Gladstone Harbour were removed and put to sea by late Thursday afternoon, local time.

The Regional Harbour Master ordered the evacuation of the Gladstone Anchorage at 6 am. The port was closed at 6 pm when it issued the Cyclone Alert.

The Cyclone Marcia has been moving through the Coral Sea towards the Queensland coast in a south westerly direction. The cyclone is expected to maintain this general motion through to landfall on the eastern Queensland coast between St Lawrence and Bundaberg early Friday.

Destructive winds of up to 150 km/hr may develop about the coast and islands near the centre on Friday morning. Gales are expected to develop about coastal and island communities between Mackay and Double Island Point, and adjacent inland areas from Mackay to Monto.

Abnormally high tides are expected on Thursday and Friday with water levels expected to rise above the highest tide of the year on the high tide.