Australia’s northeast has escaped the worst of a tropical cyclone that was expected to wreak havoc.<br /><br />Forecasters predicted Cyclone Ita would bring dangerous storm tides after it weakened but in the end it was downgraded to a tropical low.<br /><br />Queensland premier Campbell Newman spoke of his widespread relief no-one was seriously hurt: “I am greatly heartened that this time we’ve had no reports of any loss of life or any serious injuries.”<br /><br />The storm did force thousands of people to evacuate from their homes in search of shelter.<br /><br />Cyclone Ita, the strongest to approach the Queensland coast in three years, was classified as a tropical depression when it marched across the Solomon Islands late last week, killing at least 23 people, according to the United Nations.
