‘Screaming’ cyclone ravages N Australia

SYDNEY: Howling winds, heavy rain and huge seas pounded Australia’s north-east yesterday, damaging homes, wrecking jetties and cutting power to thousands of people as Tropical Cyclone Debbie tore through the far north of Queensland.

Wind gusts stronger than 260km/h were recorded at tourist resorts along the worldfamous Great Barrier Reef as the storm made landfall as a category four, one rung below the most dangerous wind speed level.

It was later downgraded to category two.

Forecasters said high winds would probably persist overnight, although the storm would then weaken rapidly and was expected to be downgraded to category one by dawn today.

Police said one man was badly hurt and taken to hospital after a wall collapsed at Proserpine, about 900km northwest of the Queensland capital, Brisbane.

But the weather was still too bad to assess damage fully or mount an emergency response.

As the storm forged slowly inland after nightfall, state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged people to stay indoors.

Cyclone Debbie made landfall at Airlie Beach, north of Proserpine, shortly after midday local time. “It’s very noisy: screaming, howling wind… still blowing like crazy,” a resident said four hours later.

Authorities had urged thousands of people in threatened areas to flee their homes.Torrential rain flooded streets and wind smashed windows, uprooted trees and tossed debris down streets, while jetties at Airlie Beach marina were wrecked.

Power was cut for 48 000 people in a wide area between the towns of Bowen and Mackay, north and south of Airlie Beach.

Ports at Abbot Point, Mackay and Hay Point were shut and Townsville Airport was closed. Airlines Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia suspended flights to and from the region and said planes may also be grounded today.

BHP Billiton and Glencore halted work at their coal mines in the storm’s path.