Two powerful cyclones smashed into northern Australia on Friday, with authorities ordering coastal residents to flee their homes amid warnings the storms’ violent winds and drenching rains could prove deadly.
The twin storms, dubbed the “cyclone sandwich” by locals, struck early Friday, about 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles) apart. Cyclone Lam hit a sparsely populated stretch of the Northern Territory, while the more powerful and potentially dangerous Cyclone Marcia began crossing over small towns along the east coast of Queensland state a few hours later, packing wind gusts up to 285 kilometers (180 miles) an hour.
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The Bureau of Meteorology warned that Marcia had a “very destructive core,” had intensified rapidly and was likely to cause flooding.
In the Northern Territory, Cyclone Lam struck a remote stretch of coast, tearing up trees and downing power lines, but causing no major damage as it weakened and moved further inland. No injuries had been reported.
