Severe cyclone hits Australia
The remote north-west Australian fishing town of Onslow was lashed by torrential rain and winds gusting at 100 mph as a severe tropical cyclone crossed the coast today from the Indian Ocean, government weather authorities said.
There were no immediate reports of substantial damage or injuries.
Cyclone Glenda first hit land along the sparsely populated Pilbara coast of Western Australia state, about 600 miles north of the state capital, Perth, Bureau of Meteorology manager Grahame Reader said.
It’s full fury hit Onslow, a town of about 800, senior meteorologist Grant Elliott said.
“Flooding is going to be an issue,” said Grant, adding that the cyclone had brought 20cm of rain in two hours.
“Very destructive winds will extend southward through the western Pilbara (coast) overnight and Friday as the system moves further south and gradually weakens,” the statement said.
Widespread heavy rain and flooding are likely in western Pilbara and the western part of neighbouring Gascoyne over the next few days, it said.
The storm has uprooted trees and disrupted power and communications across the Pilbara coast – the most cyclone-prone region of Australia.
Onslow is known as Cyclone City, according to a local history posted on the internet that said cyclones in the town date back to 1926.
In February 1995, seven fishermen died when two trawlers sunk off Onslow as a cyclone of similar strength passed by.
Heavy rains pelted the region yesterday as residents battened down for the storm – the sixth and largest to menace the area since the season began in November.
Glenda’s assault on Western Australia state comes just over a week after Cyclone Larry battered Queensland state on the east coast with 180 mph winds, devastating farming towns and flattening banana and sugar cane plantations.
