Northeast Australia braces for cyclone, thousands flee to higher ground

[Wireless News]

http://l.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/70foVSoeQGcoH4vKdPhtpA--/YXBwaWQ9eXRhY2h5b247aD04Njt3PTEzMDs-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2017-03-27T105235Z_2_LYNXMPED2Q097_RTROPTP_2_AUSTRALIA-CYCLONE.JPG (https://www.yahoo.com/news/thousands-flee-cyclone-debbie-bears-down-australia-032537559--finance.html)By Tom Westbrook SYDNEY (Reuters) - Thousands of Australians fled their homes on Monday as a powerful cyclone bore down on coastal towns in Queensland, where authorities urged 30,000 people to evacuate low lying areas most at risk from tidal surges and winds of up to 300 km per hour (185 mph). Cyclone Debbie is expected to gather strength before making landfall in the northeast state early on Tuesday, with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a category four storm, just one rung below the most dangerous wind speed level. The growing alarm persuaded the state government on Monday to warn some 25,000 people living in parts of Mackay, a city 950 kilometers (590 miles) north of the state capital Brisbane, to head south to higher ground.



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