Early wind and rain from a rare tropical cyclone began lashing part of eastern Australia on Thursday as schools were closed, public transport was stopped and desperate residents got around shortages of sandbags by buying potting mix.

Early wind and rain from a rare tropical cyclone began lashing part of eastern Australia on Thursday as schools were closed, public transport was

The tropical cyclone's western edge is already is already having an effect on Australia's east coast. Weather experts are predicting it will cross the coast early on Friday morning with damaging wind gusts, storms, and heavy rainfall expected to impact a large warning zone spanning Queensland and NSW.