Cyclone Debbie in Australia

Cyclone Debbie made landfall in Queensland, Australia on 28 March, bringing heavy rainfall and flooding.

The powerful Category Four storm left three people dead and more than 25,000 were forced to evacuate their homes.

Debbie brought winds in excess of 263km/h and has caused damage to homes and infrastructure in the affected area. The storm has affected power lines, leaving tens of thousands without electricity and communications have also been disrupted. Some towns have been cut off by flash flooding, rendering roads impassable and delaying relief operations.

After making landfall, Debbie moved slowly in a south-west direction and while the storm weakened to Category Two, it continued to cause more flooding over the following days. It crossed the border into the neighbouring state of New South Wales where Debbie caused further damage and flooding.

There are concerns that the storm may even have damaged the Great Barrier Reef and analysts believe Debbie could cause one of the biggest floods Queensland has experienced in sixty years.