Woman gives birth to baby girl in midst of cyclone

A woman gave birth to a baby girl inside a crowded evacuation centre at the height of Cyclone Yasi, one of the most powerful storms on record to hit Australia.

Akiko Pruss, her husband Christian and their first child, were taking refuge in Red Lynch College, a school in Cairns, when her waters broke.

Asked how the birth went, witness Linda Cooper paid tribute to the mother's resilience. "She's either got a very high pain threshold or she's a very strong woman," Ms Cooper said.