Hundreds Stranded In Northern Australia As Cyclone Evacuations Suspended

CANBERRA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 19th Mar, 2024) Hundreds of residents of remote northern Australia have been left stranded after Tropical Cyclone Megan forced the suspension of evacuation efforts.

Tropical Cyclone Megan made landfall in the northeast of Australia's Northern Territory (NT) on Monday afternoon as a category 3 storm, bringing with it wind speeds of up to 200 km per hour and heavy rainfall.

Earlier on Monday air evacuations from nearby towns being led by the Australian Defense Force (ADF) were suspended due to deteriorating weather conditions.

Evacuation efforts, which focused on the town of Borroloola approximately 50 km inland from where the cyclone made landfall and over 700 km southeast of Darwin, began on Monday morning but were called off because Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft were unable to land safely.

It left 700 people trapped in the region as the cyclone approaches, with power cut off and residents urged to conserve batteries.