One Direction's legions of loyal fans were relieved to discover that their favourite band are safe and well on Friday after concerns two members had been caught up in Australia's powerful Cyclone Marcia. The band were due to perform in Perth on Friday night, but fans were worried that Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson wouldn't be able to make it after being spotted on Hamilton Island, which is close to areas affected by the storm.
Hundreds of fans took to Twitter to express their concern for the singers' safety after user "OTRA (On The Road Again) Tour Updates" revealed: "Louis and Zayn are apparently on Hamilton island, and there is a cyclone heading that way…"
One Direction fans were concerned they had been caught up in Cyclone Marcia
However their fears were abated when Ticketmaster took to its Twitter page and replied to one fan, explaining: "All five have been confirmed to be there. A cyclone won't stop them!"
A source also confirmed that Zayn and Louis had safely departed the island via private jet on Friday afternoon ahead of their show at Perth's Domain Stadium.
Zayn and Louis were on holiday on Hamilton Island - near the path of the cyclone
One Direction kicked off their Australian tour at the beginning of February, and have performed in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide. They will play their final show in the country on Tuesday. The band have been supported by McBusted on the tour, and members of both bands had been taking the opportunity to explore Australia in their free time until the cyclone struck.
Cyclone Marcia has been predicted to be the most destructive cyclone in Queensland since 2013. A warning was issued early on Friday morning urging residents in the path of the storm to stay safe, and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told people that the next few hours would be "harrowing and terrifying".
"Over the next few hours, many Queenslanders are going to go through a harrowing and terrifying experience. We will be standing by your side. This is a severe cyclone, I want everyone to take all the precautions," she said.