Australia’s northeast has escaped the worst of a tropical cyclone that was expected to wreak havoc.
Forecasters predicted Cyclone Ita would bring dangerous storm tides after it weakened but in the end it was downgraded to a tropical low.
Queensland premier Campbell Newman spoke of his widespread relief no-one was seriously hurt: “I am greatly heartened that this time we’ve had no reports of any loss of life or any serious injuries.”
The storm did force thousands of people to evacuate from their homes in search of shelter.
Cyclone Ita, the strongest to approach the Queensland coast in three years, was classified as a tropical depression when it marched across the Solomon Islands late last week, killing at least 23 people, according to the United Nations.
