Darwin escapes cyclone fury

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.

The Bureau of Meteorology dropped the cyclone watch for the Northern Territory, downgrading Cyclone Debbie to a rain depression with below gale force winds.

Darwin, the area’s main city, was devastated almost 29 years ago by Cyclone Tracy.

Cyclone Debbie crossed nearby Goulburn Island late on Saturday night with winds of up to 170 kph (105 mph), knocking down trees and power lines. Heavy rains caused floods.

No injuries have been reported. About 400 people took shelter in an Aboriginal sports hall overnight.

The cyclone was still expected to cause flooding across Australia’s north, with strong wind gusts expected for the outback region and Darwin, the Bureau said.

Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin on December 25, 1974, killing 49 people in the city. Another 16 died at sea.

Tracy’s torrential rain and winds of at least 217 kph (134 mph) battered the city, devastating 70% of its homes and cutting off essential services including water, power, communications and sewage.