Ex-tropical cyclone Alfred lingered off the southeast Australian coast on Saturday, with forecasters predicting Brisbane will likely avoid the storm’s worst effects. This comes as a relief for millions of residents who have been staying indoors amid the severe weather.
Now downgraded to a “tropical low,” Alfred crossed Queensland’s offshore islands overnight and is expected to move towards the mainland within hours, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Thousands have been evacuated, and local media report around 250,000 people facing power outages due to violent winds toppling power lines. Officials confirmed one fatality in New South Wales after a man was swept away by floodwaters. Authorities continue urging residents to stay indoors as conditions worsen.
“The impacts are already being felt, and there is worse to come in the hours ahead,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said from the National Situation Room in Canberra. He warned that the storm would intensify, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and flooding across southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales throughout the weekend and beyond.
Brisbane and the Gold Coast are experiencing heavy rainfall, while Lismore in northern New South Wales—historically impacted by record floods—has already begun flooding. Meanwhile, two Australian Defence Force vehicles en route to Lismore collided, injuring several officers.
Brisbane Airport remains closed, public transport is suspended, and over 1,000 schools in southeast Queensland, along with 280 in northern New South Wales, have shut down. Authorities have urged evacuations as the rare east coast tropical cyclone continues its approach.
Videos on social media and local news outlets show flooded roads, fallen trees, damaged homes, and powerful waves crashing onto beaches. Officials have called Alfred a “very rare event” for Brisbane, which last experienced a direct cyclone hit in 1974, with near misses in 1990 and 2019.
Source: Swifteradio.com
