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'Destructive' tropical cyclone Marcia hits Queensland Australia storms: Cyclones hit Queensland and Northern Territory
(about 3 hours later)
A "very destructive" storm has hit the coast of Queensland, forcing evacuations from coastal communities, Australian officials say. Two major storms have slammed into Australia, bringing winds that have knocked out power to homes and forced evacuations in coastal areas.
Forecasters warn Category Five tropical cyclone Marcia - with wind gusts up to 285km/h (177 mph) - is bringing heavy rain and "abnormally high tides". Tropical Cyclone Marcia hit the Queensland coast between St Lawrence and Yeppoon.
The cyclone made landfall between St Lawrence and Yeppoon. Arriving as a Category Five storm, it has now been downgraded to a Three but forecasters are warning of heavy rain and abnormally high tides.
Separately, Category Four tropical cyclone Lam hit the Northern Territory, causing power cuts for thousands. Separately, Tropical Cyclone Lam hit the Northern Territory.
The storm - with winds reaching 230km/h - struck Elcho Island and is moving south-west. Local residents said roofs had been torn off from a number of houses and trees uprooted. Lam, which arrived as a Category Four, struck Elcho Island and is moving south-west. Local residents said roofs had been torn off from a number of houses and trees uprooted.
There have been no reports of injuries there, and the storm was later downgraded to Category Three as it continued moving inland. There have been no reports of injuries there, and the storm was later downgraded to Category Two as it continued moving inland.
'Real moving beast''Real moving beast'
"Severe tropical cyclone Marcia, Category Five, is currently crossing the coast near Shoalwater Bay north of Yeppoon," Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said in a statement. In its latest update, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said Marcia was expected to move south and gradually weaken.
It said "destructive winds" would threaten communities between St Lawrence and Gladstone in the morning, and Capricornia and Burnett districts later in the day. "The very destructive core... with gusts to 205 km/h (127mph), is currently impacting the Yeppoon and Rockhampton areas," it said.
Destructive winds were expected to extend further south and inland across the Capricornia and Burnett districts, it added.
Local residents should be prepared for an evacuation if advised by the authorities, the BoM added. It also warned about possible tidal and flash flooding.Local residents should be prepared for an evacuation if advised by the authorities, the BoM added. It also warned about possible tidal and flash flooding.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said 134 schools and 43 child care centres along the coast had been closed so far. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said there had been no reports of injuries to people but some reports were coming in of minor structural damage to homes and uprooted trees.
She said 100 people had been evacuated from Lady Elliot Island, a coral cay located at the southern tip of the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef, and some tourists were being moved to safety on Heron Island, also on the Great Barrier Reef. Ms Palaszczuk said 33,000 residences were without power in the Livingstone/Yeppoon area and 20,000 in Rockhampton.
More than 170 schools and child care centres have been closed, and people evacuated or moved to safety on both Lady Elliot Island and Heron Island, on the Great Barrier Reef.
In Yeppoon, about 870 homes were evacuated because of storm surges, according to Queensland emergency authorities.In Yeppoon, about 870 homes were evacuated because of storm surges, according to Queensland emergency authorities.
St Brendan's College, a Catholic day and boarding high school in Yeppoon, is being used by emergency services as one of the evacuation centres for local residents.
Principal Nick Scully told the BBC that about 220 students had left the school on Thursday to travel home to their families but another 40 boys, mostly from the Torres Strait Islands in northern Australia, remained at the school.
About 350 local residents are sheltering in the school's chapel.
"The winds are starting to pick up, there are some thumping noises and the trees are being pushed down," said Mr Scully.
"But it has not hit that freight train-like noise [some cyclones get] so I think we are a little way away from the worst," he said.
The mayor of the nearby town of Rockhampton, Margaret Strelow, told ABC Radio that Marcia was like "a real moving beast" as it appeared to head first to the west of the city and then to the east.The mayor of the nearby town of Rockhampton, Margaret Strelow, told ABC Radio that Marcia was like "a real moving beast" as it appeared to head first to the west of the city and then to the east.
Further south, local media reported that 90,000 sandbags had so far been handed out across Queensland's major city, Brisbane, because of predictions of heavy rain and flooding.Further south, local media reported that 90,000 sandbags had so far been handed out across Queensland's major city, Brisbane, because of predictions of heavy rain and flooding.
At a news conference, Ms Palaszczuk said it was "a serious event", warning that "over the next few hours, many thousands of Queenslanders are going to go through a harrowing and terrifying experience". Describing the cyclone as "very serious", Prime Minister Tony Abbott said: "Let's hope we can get through it... without any loss of life."
Category Five tropical cyclone
Source: Australia's Bureau of Meteorology
"This is an important time now not to panic but to make sure you have you preparations in place," she said.
Describing the cyclone as "very serious", Prime Minister Tony Abbott later said: "Let's hope we can get through it... without any loss of life".
A number of people from coastal areas were evacuated before the cyclone hit.
Officials later said that the situation was so dangerous that emergency workers would soon need to take cover themselves, the BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney reports.
Several towns - including Mackay, Proserpine and Yeppoon, about 670km north of Brisbane - were reportedly in lockdown, establishing emergency centres.
"This is going to be a calamity, no doubt about that," Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said, warning that it was a "desperate situation".
"Our primary focus from this point on is the safety of all human life in that area."
Marlina Whop, an ABC reporter in Yeppoon, said there was a "horizontal rain" in the town and residents were worried about a storm surge.
"It's the unknown that's the worry," Yeppoon resident Beeann Busby earlier told the Brisbane Courier Mail newspaper.
"We've had so many close calls over the years that we've probably gotten a bit complacent but this one's looking a bit more serious."
In 2013, powerful tropical cyclone Oswald hit Queensland, killing at least four people and flooding wide areas.In 2013, powerful tropical cyclone Oswald hit Queensland, killing at least four people and flooding wide areas.
Are you in Queensland? Have you been affected by the storm? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experience. Please include a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.Are you in Queensland? Have you been affected by the storm? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your experience. Please include a telephone number if you are willing to be contacted by a BBC journalist.
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