Cyclone Debbie hit the coast of Queensland with destructive wind gusts of up to 270 kph (167 mph). Power lines were cut, trees uprooted and buildings damaged.
Image: Reuters/AAP/D. Peled
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Cyclone Debbie hits Australia
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Hundreds of kilometers of coastline along the Australian state of Queensland were declared a danger zone as Cyclone Debbie hit the region. Authorities had warned a tidal surge could inundate low-lying homes.
The storm was upgraded overnight to category four, one level below the most dangerous wind speed level. Debbie's force has already been felt in the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands, with wind gusts of more than 220 kilometers (135 mph) per hour, forcing tourists to shelter in their locked-down hotels.
Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from the region and more than 20,000 homes are without electricity. Authorities have reported damaged roofs and trees ripped out of the ground.
"We're getting some reports already of roofs starting to lift, including at some of our own facilities in the Whitsundays," Queensland Deputy Police Commissioner Stephan Gollschewski said.
He told the national ABC broadcaster that Debbie would remain a category three storm for some 18 hours after crossing the coast.
A 'monster'
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the evacuations were probably the largest the state had ever seen.
"We are in for a long, tough day," Palaszczuk said. "The intensity and ferocity of the winds is going to be gradually increasing. Everyone is bunkered down.
The storm has made landfall between the towns of Bowen and Airlie Beach. On social media, Bowen residents say weather conditions worsened as the storm approached.
Authorities have warned against complacency if it appears the storm might have calmed after making landfall.
Debbie is the most powerful storm to hit Queensland since Cyclone Yasi in 2011, which ripped houses from their foundations, destroyed crops and devastated island resorts.
Cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes - the power of devastation
Cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes pack a devastating punch: wherever they go, they leave a trail of destruction. But how do these powerful tropical storms arise?
Image: AFP/D. Sarkar
Social distancing impossible during Cyclone Amphan
Residents along Bangladesh's coast are being moved to safety as one of the strongest cyclones in years strikes the region. Millions of people had to be evacuated from low-lying regions along the Bay of Bengal on May 19. But plans are complicated by the coronavirus precautions. Maintaining social distancing is nearly impossible.
Image: AFP/District Administration of Bhola
Typhoon season amid the COVID-19 pandemic
On May 14, Typhoon Vongfong slammed the Philippines with strong winds and heavy rains, destroying the city of San Policarpo in the eastern province of Samar. At least five people died and more than 91,000 people were forced to leave their homes. Typhoons are not unusual in the Philippines at this time of year. But the COVID-19 outbreak lockdown measures are exacerbating the situation.
Image: AFP/A. Beronio
Three names - one phenomenon
Hurricane, typhoon, and cyclone are actually three names for the same phenomenon. Along the North American coast they are called hurricanes, in East and Southeast Asia they are called typhoons, and near India and Australia they are called cyclones. But despite the different names, they develop in the same way.
Image: Reuters
A cyclone is created
Tropical storms develop over oceans when the water temperature is at least 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit). As the warm water evaporates and condenses, the air around it heats up and drags cooler air upwards, creating powerful winds.
The eye of the storm
The Earth's rotation causes the air stream to move around the eye of the storm, which can be up to 50 kilometers wide. This area is nearly completely free of clouds and wind.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
A storm hits land
When a tropical storm hits a coastline, it becomes weaker due to the lack of warm water. In Australia, "Marcia" was soon downgraded to a category one storm, while "Lam" weakened after striking near Brisbane. Masses of water from the sea often cause the worst damage - as seen here in China after Typhoon Nanmadol in August 2011.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Chaos ensues
Hurricane Sandy was one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded over the Atlantic Ocean. It caused waves of up to 4 meters high, fires, power outages and broken dykes. Sandy arrived with winds at speeds of more than 145 kilometers per hour. Cuba, New York and New Jersey were particularly affected.
Image: Reuters
Destructive vortex
Tornadoes however, are non-tropical whirlwinds that can occur anywhere a storm is brewing. Local temperature differences force warm air upwards and cold air down, and a column of warm air rotates upwards at an increasing velocity. Tornadoes are usually only a maximum of 1 kilometer in diameter.
Fastest storms
As the warm air rises, it forms a funnel, the main characteristic of a tornado. Inside the funnel, the speed of the air can be tremendous - up to 500 kilometers per hour. Tornadoes are the fastest whirlwind type of weather phenomenon.
Image: Fotolia/Daniel Loretto
Trail of destruction
A tornado can leave a trail of destruction several kilometers long. In the US Midwest, tornadoes occur several hundred times a year, as dry, cold air from the north hits damp, warm air from the Gulf of Mexico. It's different in other countries - in Germany, for example, tornadoes occasionally occur along the coast.
