Tropical cyclone ‘Alfred’ lashes parts of eastern Australia; Brisbane on alert

Tropical Cyclone Alfred lashed parts of eastern Australia on Thursday, as the Australia’s New South Wales, State Emergency Service issued emergency evacuation warnings today as tropical cyclone edges closer to the country’s east coast.

Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall early Saturday along the Queensland coast, somewhere between the Sunshine Coast region and the city of Gold Coast.

Alfred is expected to become the first cyclone to cross the coast near Brisbane since Cyclone Zoe hit Gold Coast in 1974 and brought widespread flooding.

Residents in the Northern Rivers region in northeastern part were urged to evacuate, as rapid river rises and heavy rainfall are expected to cause widespread flooding across local catchments.

The State Emergency Service State Duty Commander, Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan said, if people remain in the area, they may become trapped without power, water, and other essential services.

The federal government had delivered 310,000 sandbags to Brisbane, with more on the way. Public transport was suspended across the affected areas, and hospitals were limited to only emergency surgeries until the danger subsided. Strong winds caused power outages for 4,500 homes and businesses in northern New South Wales.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the category two system is expected to cross Australia’s east coast Friday night or early Saturday morning, most likely between Noosa and Coolangatta, the location of the Gold Coast Airport.

More than 4 million residents of Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast, among other cities of Queensland and NSW, have been placed on a formal warning by the BOM. Major Australian airlines suspended operation in Brisbane today.