Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 01:38pm on 13 Dec 2023,Wednesday International
Tropical Cyclone Jasper slammed into northeast Australia Wednesday with destructive 70mph winds, leaving coastal communities without power and facing "life-threatening" floods. The Category 2 storm made landfall near the Aboriginal settlement of Wujal, whipping dangerous gusts and torrential rain that could cause flash flooding for days. The popular tourist hubs of Cairns and Port Douglas are also imperiled. Around 15,000 homes lost electricity as Jasper neared, with damage expected to infrastructure unable to withstand the cyclone's onslaught. Residents were urged to brace property for the extreme conditions that already forced the risky evacuation of storm forecasters stationed offshore last week as Jasper intensified over the Coral Sea.
