Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle to hit Norfolk Island on Saturday as it intensifies to category three

Norfolk Island is bracing for Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle to tear through the island within the next 24 hours. 

Hundreds of residents have bunkered down as the severe storm bears in on the region.

By Friday morning, Gabrielle had intensified into a category three severe tropical cyclone and was roughly 1,410km northwest of Norfolk Island and 600km off the Queensland coastline. 

Norfolk Island’s Cyclone Response Plan has been activated and elevated to an orange alert, meaning residents have been warned to brace for impact within the next 12-24 hours.

Around 2,200 residents who live on Norfolk Island are preparing for extreme conditions over the weekend, with the strongest winds expected from 2pm Saturday.

Authorities warned the conditions could be ‘the most severe weather system’ ever experienced on the island.

The Bureau of Meteorology says winds up to 205km/h are expected to lash the island.

‘Gales with gusts to 120km/h are expected to develop at Norfolk Island during Saturday morning,’ the bureau said.

‘Destructive winds are expected to develop from late Saturday afternoon and continue into the evening with very destructive winds with gusts to 205km/h per hour possible as the core of system passes over late Saturday evening. 

‘Abnormally high tides are expected about Norfolk Island. Very high surf may lead to localised damage and coastal erosion is possible.’

Due to the cyclone warning in place, increased winds and waves expected for the NSW and Queensland coasts this weekend.

There are around 2200 people who reside on Norfolk Island and residents are being told to prepare for the extreme weather over the weekend, with the strongest winds expected to tear through the island from 2pm on Saturday

George Plant from Norfolk Island’s Emergency Management told 9News the storm is ‘probably the most severe weather system that we’ve experienced’ on the island.

‘It’s right on the edge of what we think is manageable, likely because most of them don’t come this close,’ he said.

‘As you can see, a lot of the building are older, built before cyclone ratings, so our expectations are some of those buildings will fail.’

Mr Plant urged residents to keep up to date with information via radio or internet.

Weatherzone meteorologists believe the system will likely weaken from a category three back to a category two system by the time it makes landfall.

Weatherzone meteorologists believe the system will likely have weakened from a category three back to a category two system by the time it makes landfall (pictured: Norfolk Island)

‘While it should have weakened back to a category two system by the time it reaches Norfolk Island, Gabrielle will still be strong enough to produce destructive gale force winds, abnormally high tides and heavy rain this weekend,’ Weatherzone say.

After going through Norfolk Island, forecasters are unsure what path it will course and how it will transition. 

Some forecast models suggest the severe cyclone may turn into a strong extra-tropical cyclone.

This could bring about severe weather to New Zealand’s North Island as early as Sunday.

Extratropical cyclones can produce anything from mild showers to severe gales, thunderstorms and blizzards.