Claims News Service, Apr. 24, 2:10 p.m. EDT — Tropical Cyclone Monica made landfall in Australia earlier today with wind gusts of up to 220 miles per hour, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center said Monica packed sustained winds of around 175 miles per hour prior to coming ashore.

Forecasters said that Monica was one of the most severe storms ever to strike Australia. Monica is thought to be more intense than Cyclone Tracy, which hit Darwin in December 1974, killing 71 people and destroying about 70 percent of the city. Darwin is now a rebuilt city of around 100,000 people with new buildings designed to withstand severe cyclones, reports said.

The cyclone caused widespread flooding as it tracked along Australia's northern coast over the weekend, but no major damage or injuries were reported.

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