The search area is in the southern Indian Ocean."
Canberra (ANTARA News/Xinhua-OANA) - Australian maritime search authorities said Monday that a tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean will not affect the search for missing Malaysia Airways flight MH370.

Earlier Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said Tropical Cyclone Gillian, near Christmas Island, could bring bad weather south, hindering search efforts.

"Today we expect the weather to deteriorate and of course the forecasts ahead are not all that good," Truss told ABCs Radio National.

However, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority Twitter feed ran a message in the afternoon, saying the MH370 search area "will not be affected by Tropical Cyclone Gillian."

"The search area is in the southern Indian Ocean," it added.

The message was sent as it was announced the crew of a Chinese IL-76 plane had spotted objects floating in the southern Indian Ocean.

Seven military and three civil aircraft were searching two areas covering a total of 68,500 square km on Monday.
(Uu.H-AK)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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