World

Cyclone Veronica: Destructive winds and rain lash Australia

March 26, 2019 5:08 am

A second cyclone within 48 hours has brought destructive winds and torrential rains to coastal regions of Australia.

Cyclone Veronica lingered about 95km (60 miles) off the nation’s north-west coast on Monday, officials said.

Despite no longer being expected to make landfall, the category two system is moving slowly and has prompted warnings for locals to remain indoors.

Article continues after advertisement

Cyclone Trevor, a category four, hit the Northern Territory on Saturday.

Heavy rain and large waves whipped up by Cyclone Veronica threaten to cause widespread flooding in Western Australia, according to authorities.

An area stretching from Karratha to Port Hedland was enduring gale-force winds of more than 125km/h, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Similar conditions affected the Northern Territory on Saturday when Cyclone Trevor made landfall between the remote communities of Numbulwar and Borroloola.

In Western Australia, the strong winds snapped trees and caused minor power outages but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

Many locals had reinforced their homes with sandbags and stocked up on food and water supplies.

One woman who gave birth at a local hospital during the storm named the child Veronica, local network Nine reported.