Thousands evacuated as cyclone hits islands

Thousands of tourists and residents were evacuated from island resorts on Australia's Great Barrier Reef yesterday as an intense tropical cyclone bore down on the region, state officials said.

Australia's weather bureau had warned that Tropical Cyclone Hamish could cause substantial damage and flooding, with the storm at its height packing winds of up to 295 kph.

Around 3,000 people are being evacuated from Fraser Island, two-thirds of them tourists, a spokesman for Queensland state's emergency services minister yesterday.