700 People Trapped by Cyclone in Northern Australia

700 people in northernmost Australia were trapped today as a cyclone struck their remote area, cutting it off from the rest of the country. The Australian military attempted to evacuate residents of the small town of Boroloola in the Northern Territory, but bad weather prevented planes from landing yesterday. Residents were advised to shelter in the area hit by the cyclone yesterday afternoon. The storm, classified as a Category 3 cyclone, brought heavy rain and strong winds ranging from 170 to 200 kilometers per hour, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Emergency Minister Murray Watt stated, "Bad weather prevented evacuation operations yesterday, but we expect to deploy new teams today." Tropical Cyclone Megan has been downgraded to a tropical low as wind speeds decreased, but heavy rainfall continues as the storm moves inland.