Australian resort town hit by Cyclone Ului

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A tropical cyclone tore through an Australian resort island earlier today, ripping roofs off homes, washing boats ashore and leaving thousands of people in the dark.

Cyclone Ului, packing winds of up to 200km (125 miles) an hour, slammed into the Whitsundays islands, a popular tourist destination on the Great Barrier Reef on Australia’s north east coast, causing widespread damage.

Miraculously nobody was injured during the category three storm which was so powerful is sucked air conditioners out of walls.

Ului crossed the Queensland coast near Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays around 1.30am this morning (00.30 GMT). It then turned onto the mainland where it wrecked havoc in the region, causing millions of dollars damage. Boats moored at the Whitsundays Sailing Club in Airlie Beach were dumped onto rocks and at least six homes lost their roofs in the Proserpine area.

The cyclone also damaged power infrastructure in various parts of the state, leaving 55,000 homes and businesses without electricity.

Clarence Van Der Wolf, who lives in the town of Prosperpine, said he was relaxing in front of his TV when he began hearing “strange noises” as the storm hit his house.

“It started blowing and blowing and I heard this noise rumble rumble rumble, bump bump bump, it was the roof coming off and I said 'we've got to get out, I didn't know if the whole place was going to come down,” he told the Australian Associated Press. “It was frightening, I wouldn't like to go through it again”.

Officials were assessing the impact that Ului, which was downgraded after making landfall near the tourist town of Airlie Beach, had had on the region.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said it appeared that the region had escaped catastrophic damage.

“Early indications show this has been a significant event, we're seeing moderate and very severe damage in some pockets,” Ms Bligh said before leaving on a tour of the affected areas.

“Most of what we've been hearing is from major population centres - Proserpine and Mackay - so damage to some of the more remote islands, damage to rural properties is still unknown.”

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said the storm, since downgraded to a rain depression, was now below cyclone strength after weakening rapidly when it made landfall.

"Damaging winds are no longer expected," the weather bureau said in a statement, adding that surf conditions would remain dangerous.

On Friday 19-year-old surfing and life-saving champion Saxon Bird died during a national Surf Life Saving championships held at Kurrawa Beach the Gold Coast in Queensland after Ului whipped up rough seas.

A memorial service for Mr Bird was held at the beach today.

Four years ago tropical Cyclone Larry made landfall near the Queensland town of Innisfail, causing millions of dollars in damage to homes, infrastructure and crops as winds gusted at up to 240km (150 miles) per hour.