Thousands flee as cyclone hits Australia

A POWERFUL tropical cyclone packing winds of up to 290km/h slammed into Australia’s north-eastern coast last night after more than 1,000 tourists and local residents were evacuated to higher ground, the weather bureau said.

Tropical cyclone Larry smashed into the coastal community of Innisfail, about 100km south of Cairns, a popular jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef, forecaster Jonty Hall said.

The weather bureau upgraded the storm to a category five - the strongest category possible - and thousands of local residents were evacuated ahead of the cyclone’s arrival.