SYDNEY, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Over 200,000 people in northeast Australia were on Saturday advised to prepare for damaging winds, heavy rain and flooding as a tropical cyclone approaches the coast.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) on Saturday said that a tropical low storm system is likely to develop into a category one tropical cyclone before making landfall on the northeast coast of the state of Queensland in the early hours of Sunday morning.
A cyclone warning issued by the BoM for a 470 km stretch of coast, including the city of Townsville with a population of around 230,000 people and resort islands, said that damaging wind gusts up to 100 km per hour and heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding are forecast to develop during Saturday.
It said that intense rainfall in towns southeast of Townsville may cause dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding.
The same region was hit by widespread devastating flooding in January 2025.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told Australian Broadcasting Corporation television on Saturday morning that swift water rescue boats, as well as police, firefighters, and State Emergency Service personnel, have been pre-positioned in the area to aid with the response.
"I do want Queenslanders to know we're better prepared than ever before," he said. ■
