Australia hit by early stages of Cyclone Rusty

Australia's north-west coast is being buffeted by high winds, hours before a powerful cyclone is expected to make landfall as a category four storm. Weather experts say that the slow speed of Cyclone Rusty is likely to prompt extensive flooding. As much as 600mm of rain (24in) was being forecast over a 24-hour period. "We're talking Noah's Ark," one forecaster said. "We're expecting a phenomenal amount of rainfall." Cyclone Rusty was upgraded to a category four storm early on Wednesday, one notch short of the top category. At its centre, it had intensified to a strength of 230km/h (143mph), with satellite data indicating the eye of the storm was 20 nautical miles wide, Australian media reported. BBC