More flooding forecast for Australia’s northeast as storm in Coral Sea nears cyclone strength

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — A tropical low strengthening over the Coral Sea on Tuesday is forecast to be the second cyclone in as many months to bring destructive winds and flooding to Australia’s northeast coast. The system expected to be named Tropical Cyclone Kirrily later Tuesday or Wednesday morning was tracking west toward the Queensland state coast near Townsville and forecast to make landfall overnight Thursday. Winds gusting up to 120 kph (75 mph) were expected as it crossed the Whitsunday Islands on Wednesday evening before increasing to 150 kph (93 mph) on the Australian mainland. × Already a Subscriber? Sign in You are logged in Switch accounts The same sparsely populated region was lashed in December by Tropical Cyclone…