Cyclone bears down on flood-ravaged Australian region

Tens of thousands of Australians stockpiled food and waited in sturdy shelters today as a monster cyclone approached the north east coast with furious winds, rain and surging seas on a scale unseen in generations.

Gusts up to 186mph are expected when Cyclone Yasi strikes the coast after whipping across Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The storm front is more than 310 miles wide and Yasi is so strong, it could reach far inland before it significantly loses power.