Trees fall down on the ground in front of a house in Cairns, northeastern Australia, in this image taken from television Monday, March 20, 2006. Powerful Tropical Cyclone Larry, with winds of up to 290 kph (180 mph), ripped roofs off buildings and uprooted trees across Australia's northeastern coast Monday, packing winds so powerful that emergency workers were forced to stay inside despite pleas from terrified residents.
Widespread cyclone damage in north Queensland
Posted at 3:08pm on 20 Mar 2006
There is widespread damage across far north Queensland as Cyclone Larry moves inland after crossing the coast this morning.
The cyclone hit the far north Queensland coast this morning as a maximum Category 5 storm, with wind gusts reaching 290kph.
It has now been downgraded to a Category Three storm as it moves inland over the Atherton Tablelands, and the wind gusts have dropped to about 200kph.
Forecasters had feared Cyclone Larry might move over the Gulf of Carpentaria and regain its original strength but they now say it is not currently expected to take that path.
It is expected to weaken and by tomorrow should just be a tropical low.
Areas south of Cairns hard hit
Coastal areas south of Cairns were hard hit when the cyclone hit this morning at full force.
Trees have been uprooted, roofs have been torn off and crops have been flattened.
In the town of Innisfall, there are reports that one in three houses in the town have lost their roofs. Amanda Fitzpatrick, who owns a motel in the town, says the damage looks like an atomic bomb has gone off.
Cairns has also suffered significant property damage
Farmers say millions of dollars worth of crops like bananas and sugar cane have been flattened.
Promise of help
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says help will be on its way to victims of Cyclone Larry within hours.
The State Premier said he had been in contact with Prime Minister John Howard, who had assured him the armed services would be at Queensland's disposal once the cyclone had passed.
Mr Beattie urged those in the path of the destructive storm to "batten down" and wait for assistance.
He said he hoped to move rescue teams in within "two or three hours".
Worst since 1931
The Queensland Counter Disaster and Rescue Services said today the cyclone was the worst recorded since 1931.
Earlier the Bureau of Meteorology said it's more powerful than Cyclone Tracy, which struck Darwin in 1974. Cyclone Tracy killed 71 people and destroyed more than 70% of the buildings in Darwin, leaving over 20,000 people homeless.
MFAT monitoring situation
New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it is monitoring the situation in Queensland.
A Ministry spokesperson in Wellington says New Zealand's Consul-General in Sydney is in contact with Australian authorities.
She says there are no reports of any New Zealanders needing assistance at this stage.
2nd cyclone forms
The ABC reports a second cyclone has formed behind Cyclone Larry.
The Queensland Bureau of Meteorology says Tropical Cyclone Wati is near Vanuatu and moving west, south-west at about 13 knots. It is currently located about 2,000km east of Townsville.