JungleJim
04-25-2006, 01:47 PM
Cyclone Monica Is Hovering Over Australia Mon Apr 24, 12:39 PM ET
SYDNEY, Australia - Residents of the northern city of Darwin braced Monday for Tropical Cyclone Monica, a Category 5 storm packing 217 mph winds that one forecaster said might be the fiercest in Australian history.
The cyclone lashed sparsely populated islands off Australia's Northern Territory, according to the national Bureau of Meteorology.
Senior forecaster Gordon Jackson said the storm was "quite possibly" the worst cyclone to hit Australia —
The cyclone has been tracking along Australia's northern coast for several days, threatening a number of remote Aboriginal communities but causing no injuries or major damage. It first struck the northeastern coast of Queensland state last week as a Category 3 storm, but has since intensified to a Category 5 — the most powerful designation.
Satellite pictures showed the eye of the massive storm system tracking directly toward Darwin, which has a population of around 100,000. Residents were advised to secure their homes and stock up on supplies.
Monica came just one month after Category 5 Cyclone Larry tore through the rural community of Innisfail, about 62 miles south of Cairns, destroying thousands of homes and devastating banana and sugar cane plantations with 180 mph winds.
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Two catagory 5's, let's hope it's not a sign of this coming season...though it probably is
SYDNEY, Australia - Residents of the northern city of Darwin braced Monday for Tropical Cyclone Monica, a Category 5 storm packing 217 mph winds that one forecaster said might be the fiercest in Australian history.
The cyclone lashed sparsely populated islands off Australia's Northern Territory, according to the national Bureau of Meteorology.
Senior forecaster Gordon Jackson said the storm was "quite possibly" the worst cyclone to hit Australia —
The cyclone has been tracking along Australia's northern coast for several days, threatening a number of remote Aboriginal communities but causing no injuries or major damage. It first struck the northeastern coast of Queensland state last week as a Category 3 storm, but has since intensified to a Category 5 — the most powerful designation.
Satellite pictures showed the eye of the massive storm system tracking directly toward Darwin, which has a population of around 100,000. Residents were advised to secure their homes and stock up on supplies.
Monica came just one month after Category 5 Cyclone Larry tore through the rural community of Innisfail, about 62 miles south of Cairns, destroying thousands of homes and devastating banana and sugar cane plantations with 180 mph winds.
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Two catagory 5's, let's hope it's not a sign of this coming season...though it probably is