More than 3,500 Australian residents have been evacuated as a cyclone carrying winds up to 240km/h (150 mph) moves towards the Queensland coast.

Cyclone Debbie is expected to intensify into a Category 4 system before it arrives early on Tuesday local time.

Some people have refused to leave despite warnings the destructive core could be as wide as 100km (62 miles).

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the storm would rival the devastating Cyclone Yasi in 2011.

"This window of opportunity to leave is drastically closing," she told a press conference on Monday.

"I am just pleading to everyone, please, listen to authorities. I do, you must as well. This is about your safety, it is about the safety of your family and the safety of your children.''

A state on edge

The cyclone is expected to make landfall sometime after 07:00 on Tuesday (22:00 GMT Monday) anywhere in a 265km zone from Townsville to Proserpine.

"That is the uncertainty of cyclones," said Bureau of Meteorology regional director Bruce Gunn.

Mr Gunn warned the cyclone could hit the coast at high tide, bringing waves up to 8m and flooding for low-lying areas.

The Whitsunday holiday islands were already being buffeted by 100km/h winds, he said.

Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said the weather was also responsible for a fatal car crash, believed to involve a tourist.

Ms Palaszczuk said a further 2,000 residents on Monday were expected to join thousands of people who had already been evacuated from the affected area.

Mr Stewart urged people to leave safely before it was too late.

"At some time later today, the weather event in that area, in the warning area, will get to an extent where all emergency services will not be able to respond to calls for assistance, because obviously, we have got to maintain the safety of our staff," he said.

Queensland authorities have closed 102 schools, 81 early childhood education centres and two ports.