170,000 Australian homes without power as cyclone hits
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh described conditions for local TV networks, and said that many coastal cities are enduring power outages. In Cairns, only 34% of homes had electricity. Townsville, south of Cairns, only has power in about 15% of homes. Farther down the Queensland coast, electricity is out in half of Mackay and Proserpine, and the entire town of Ingham was without power.
Tropical Cyclone Yasi is now a Category 2 storm, significantly diminished but still able to bring strong winds and heavy rain into interior areas of the country, according to CNN meteorologist Jenny Harrison. Yasi is moving toward the west. Wind speeds could reach up to 77 miles per hour (125 kilometers per hour) and very heavy rains could cause localized flooding Thursday and in days to come, she said.