A tropical cyclone has hit Australia’s Queensland coast, just 60 miles north of the major yachting centre of Cairns. Yachts have returned to the marinas and are battening down the hatches as the 180-mile wind speeds cause devastation.

The category-five cyclone is Australia’s worst for 30 years, and has flattened houses and cut power in the tourist region on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef. Australian Prime Minister John Howard said the military were on standby to assist storm victims: ‘It is clearly of enormous magnitude and we can only hope that the damage to property is less than feared and that there is no loss of life or serious injury to people,’ he said earlier today.