Cyclone hits Oz coast with rains

Canberra, March 23: A powerful cyclone made landfall on Satu-rday along a remote stretch of the northern Australian coast, bringing fierce winds and heavy rains amid safety fears for a small number of residents who've stayed in the area.

Cyclone Trevor crossed the Gulf of Carpentaria coast at 9:50 am local time (2250 GMT) in the far east of the Northern Territory, near its border with Queensland state. At the time of landfall it was a category 4 storm, with 5 being the strongest.

Most of the sparsely populated area had been evacuated, with more than 2,000 people put up in temporary accommodation in the Northern Territory capital Darwin, and the nearby town of Katherine.

But with the cyclone bringing wind gusts of up to 250 km per hour as it hit the coast, and with flash flooding expected as heavy rains met hard-baked lands recently hit by drought, authorities issued safety warnings for the small number of people who stayed put.

Northern Territory Emergency Services spokesman Jason Collins said anyone remaining in Trevor’s

■ MOST OF the sparsely populated area had been evacuated, with more than 2,000 people put up in temporary accommodation in the Northern Territory capital Darwin

path needed to have supplies to last at least three days, to take shelter and stay away from waterways.

“Turn around, don’t drown. We may not be there to save you,” he said. “Emergency services are stretched.”

Those remaining in the area, mostly farm holders, mine workers and local residents who opted not to leave, are believed to number less than a couple of dozen.

Moving in a westsouthwest direction, Trevor was downgraded to category 3 some three hours after crossing the coast, with winds of up to 205 kph. It was expected to weaken to category 2 by late Saturday.

Meanwhile Cyclone Veronica, another category 4 system, was expected to cross the northwest Australian coast late on Saturday night, bringing wind gusts of up to 230 kph.