Tropical Cyclone Megan is crossing Australia’s northern coast with strong winds, rain

SYDNEY (AP) — Tropical Cyclone Megan has made landfall along the coast of Australia’s Northern Territory bringing wind gusts of up to 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph), heavy rain and storm surges in the sparsely populated region. The cyclone crossed on to Australia’s mainland late Monday near the remote town of Borroloola on the southwestern side of the Gulf of Carpentaria, where it had been lashing island communities for several days. But the storm weakened as it neared the mainland easing fears of destructive winds and major flooding along a string of remote communities.