Cyclone Debbie

Cyclone Debbie batters Queensland in Australia

Sydney - Arab today

Australia's army and emergency workers headed to areas of tropical Queensland state hardest hit by Cyclone Debbie on Wednesday (March 29, 2017), finding roads blocked by fallen trees, sugarcane fields flattened and widespread damage in coastal towns. No deaths were reported after Debbie tore a trail of destruction through Australia's northeast on Tuesday as a category four storm, one rungRead more

2 dead, tens of thousands stranded by Australia floods

Sydney - Arab today

Tens of thousands of Australians were stranded by floodwaters on Saturday after the remnants of a powerful cyclone swept along the country's east coast, cutting roads, destroying bridges and killing two people. The disaster zone from ex-Cyclone Debbie stretched 1,000 km (600 miles) from Queensland state's tropical resort islands and Gold Coast tourist strip to the farmlands of New SouthRead more

Reef damage could cost Australia

Sydney - Arab Today

Mass coral bleaching on Australia's Great Barrier Reef could cost the region more than a million tourists a year and up to Aus$1.0 billion (US$760 million) in lost revenue, a study warned Wednesday. Scientists said this week that coral bleached for two consecutive years at the World Heritage-listed site had "zero prospect" of recovery after researchers detected another round ofRead more

Family tragedy sees Australia flood death toll rise

Sydney - Arab Today

The bodies of a "hero" mother and her two young children were pulled from a river in Australia Tuesday as the death toll rose from cyclone-fuelled floods that devastated parts of the country. At least five people are now confirmed dead after lashing rain and powerful winds pummelled swathes of Queensland and New South Wales states over the past week,Read more

Sharknado: Australia warns of snakes, crocs and sharks in floods

Sydney - Arab Today

Wading through flooded areas can be dangerous anywhere in the world, but in Australia the waters may contain snakes, crocodiles and sharks as well as rubbish and sewage. One of the striking images showing the impact of category four Cyclone Debbie which smashed through northeast Australia this week was a paramedic's photo of a large bull shark that washed upRead more

'Underwater wasteland' worries

Sydney - ArabToday

A powerful cyclone that smashed into northeastern Australia could have caused further damage to the under-pressure Great Barrier Reef, turning parts into an "underwater wasteland", scientists warned Thursday. There are already fears for the survival of corals in the central and northern areas of the World Heritage-listed marine ecosystem that stretches 2,300 kilometres (around 1,430 miles) off the Queensland state coast,Read more

'Screaming, howling' Cyclone Debbie hits north Australia

Sydney - Arab Today

Howling winds, heavy rain and huge seas pounded Australia's northeast on Tuesday, damaging homes, wrecking jetties and cutting power to thousands of people as Tropical Cyclone Debbie tore through the far north of Queensland. Wind gusts stronger than 260 km per hour (160 mph) were recorded at tourist resorts along the world-famous Great Barrier Reef as the storm made landfallRead more