Heavy Storms: Tropical Cyclone Marcia Hit Australia Major Cities.

Two major storms have slammed into Australia, damaging homes, knocking out power and forcing evacuations in coastal areas. BBC was there:



Tropical Cyclone Marcia hit the Queensland coast between Yeppoon and St Lawrence on Friday morning local time. Arriving with little warning as a Category Five storm, it has now been downgraded to a Two but still threatens high tides and heavy rain.



Separately, Tropical Cyclone Lam hit a remote area of the Northern Territory. In its latest update, the BOM said Marcia had weakened to a Category Two cyclone, with sustained winds of 110km/h (72mph) and gusts of up to 155km/h. It was about about 60km west of the town of Gladstone, Queensland and 65km north-northeast of Biloela, and moving south-southeast at 18 kmh but expected to weaken below cyclone strength by Saturday morning.



The BoM warned of abnormally high tides and said people in coastal areas should be ready evacuate if necessary.



Earlier on Friday, the storm passed through Rockhampton and Yeppoon, where Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said people of had gone through a “terrifying experience”.