Cyclone Koji cuts power to 15,000 in Queensland as flooding risk grows

About 15,000 properties were left without electricity in north-east Queensland on Sunday after Tropical Cyclone Koji crossed the coast, bringing heavy rain and destructive winds, state authorities said.

Koji, a category one system, made landfall between the towns of Ayr and Bowen, about 500km north of Brisbane, before weakening into a tropical low, according to Australia’s weather forecaster.

The storm produced wind gusts of up to 95km/h and heavy rainfall, affecting coastal centres including Mackay, a major tourist hub and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said the cyclone had damaged homes and boats and forced the closure of several roads.

Some areas recorded up to 200mm of rain overnight, with further heavy downpours forecast over the next 24 to 48 hours.

"There’s the prospect of flooding - Queenslanders will handle that," Crisafulli said in televised remarks.

Earlier, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned that flash flooding posed a "major risk" across a large stretch of the state’s coastline.

The weather forecaster said severe conditions were expected to persist through Sunday before easing on Monday.

Queensland has faced a series of severe weather events in recent months, with cyclones and intense rainfall repeatedly disrupting communities, damaging infrastructure and causing widespread power outages across the state.

Koji comes weeks after Cyclone Alfred, a downgraded system that struck Queensland in March, bringing damaging winds and heavy rain and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of properties.

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