Another Cyclone Hits Australia

Australia's remote northwest shore was lashed by 80 mph winds as Cyclone Glenda made landfall Thursday, officials said. There were no immediate reports of substantial damage.

Glenda hit the sparsely populated Pilbara coast of Western Australia state, about 620 miles north of the Western Australia state capital Perth, said Bureau of Meteorology manager Grahame Reader.

The cyclone, a Category 4 with winds up to 155 mph near its center, was expected to take several hours to pass over land because its course was running almost parallel to the coast, Reader said.

Onslow, a fishing town of more than 800, was likely to bear the brunt of the cyclone's force.

The coastline is home to few major towns but many large mining complexes.

Cyclone Glenda is the sixth cyclone to threaten the Western Australia coast during this year's cyclone season, which runs from November to April.

Glenda comes just over a week after Category 5 Cyclone Larry battered Queensland state on the east coast with 180 mph winds, devastating farming towns and flattening banana and sugar cane plantations. Insurance claims for Larry have reached $177 million, authorities said Tuesday.