A cyclone struck a glancing blow on Australia’s main northern city today, two weeks after a much stronger storm devastated another part of the weather-weary country.

A powerful cyclone ripped across Australia’s north-east coast, blasting apart houses, laying waste to banana crops and leaving boats lying in the streets of wind and wave-swept towns.

Parts of Australia’s third-largest city reopened today as deadly floodwaters that had swamped entire neighbourhoods receded, revealing streets and thousands of homes covered in a thick layer of putrid sludge.

RESIDENTS of the northern Australian city of Darwin were last night preparing for the onslaught of a severe tropical cyclone predicted to be one of the worst storms ever to hit Australia.

The Australian city of Darwin and nearby communities escaped the fury of Cyclone Debbie today as it weakened to a storm before passing over land.