Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Australia Cyclone Upgraded as Winds Hit Coast


A major cyclone powering towards Australia's resources-rich northwest coast was upgraded to a category four storm as strong winds and heavy rains lashed the region.

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology expects Rusty to make landfall east of Port Hedland, about 1,300km north of Perth, on Wednesday evening, bringing destructive winds and flooding downpours.

"We could see some gusts getting up to nearly 250kph. Some rainfall totals may be as much as 600mm in a 24-hour period," forecaster Neil Bennett told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Severe tropical cyclone Rusty intensified as it edged towards Australia's Pilbara coast, gathering speed and force across a 370km front and whipping up six-metre waves.

Category four in Australia is equilvalent to category two in the US.





No comments:

Post a Comment