AUSTRALIA’S prime minister choked back tears in parliament as she described the impact the deadly Queensland floods has had on the country.

The tail end of one of Australia’s largest cyclones triggered wild storms and flash flooding at the other end of the country, while residents at the epicentre picked through what was left of their homes.

Strong winds and driving rain began buffeting north-east Australia today as one of the country’s biggest storms arrived.

Police ordered remaining residents to get off the streets today as one of Australia’s biggest-ever storms bore down on the north-east.

AUSTRALIA evacuated thousands of people from its northeast coast yesterday as a cyclone rivalling Hurricane Katrina bore down on tourism towns and rural communities, with officials saying it could even threaten areas deep inland that were ruined by floods last month.