Residents have been warned to leave or prepare for the worst, with a tropical cyclone on track to cross a densely populated part of Australia’s east coast for the first time in 50 years.
Cyclone Alfred is looming off Queensland’s coast, threatening to bring heavy rainfall, damaging winds and monster waves.
As of 5am on Wednesday, Alfred was tracking as a category two system about 465km east of Brisbane and 430km off the Gold Coast, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) confirmed.
The cyclone is forecast to cross between Queensland’s K’gari (formerly Fraser Island) and the Gold Coast on Thursday or Friday as a category one or two system.
Alfred is predicted to bring winds upwards of 120km/h, with some areas expecting upwards of 700mm of rain.
On Wednesday morning, BoM issued an official warning zone stretching 650km from Double Island Point in Queensland to Grafton in northern NSW. The zone includes Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina, but doesn’t include Grafton.
In Brisbane alone, 20,000 homes are at risk of flooding, with an additional 6,000 homes at risk on the Gold Coast, local council modelling shows.
The suburbs of Brighton, Windsor, Ashgrove, Morningside, Rocklea, Coopers Plains, Carina, Sandgate, Hemmant, Lota, Tingalpa, Indooroopilly, Albion, Bardon and Wynnum West are most at risk.
Flood modelling map shows at least 20,000 homes could be inundated in Brisbane
On the Gold Coast, the suburbs most at risk from are Surfers Paradise, Paradise Point and Elanora.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner urged residents in these areas to evacuate.
‘These 20,000 properties could experience anything from minor inundation in their yards to significant flooding inside homes,’ he said.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli urged residents to ‘stay on their guard’ and prepare for the possible destruction of the incoming storm.
The major factors being prepared for by the authorities are wave swell and erosion, damage by destructive winds, and significant rain which could lead to flooding.
Mr Crisafulli said a 7m wave had already been recorded off North Stradbroke Island.
‘That should give you an indication that this is a serious system and those reports will continue,’ he said.
In NSW, additional SES crews began arriving in the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast on Tuesday as the state government ramped up preparations for the potential impact of the cyclone.
Biggera Waters on the Gold Coast is expected to flood in the worst case scenario
The category two cyclone was last recorded 510km east of Brisbane at 10.45pm on Tuesday
A map tracks the predicted path of Cyclone Alfred
The SES is leading the response and working with other emergency services and government agencies.
Residents of the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast have been warned to prepare for damaging winds, large surf and heavy rainfall, with low lying areas at risk of coastal erosion.
From Wednesday onwards intense rain is predicted, which could lead to moderate and major flooding in many areas, with the potential to close roads, inundate properties and lead to evacuations.
‘Now is the time for residents in the affected areas to get ready for damaging winds, large powerful surf, coastal erosion and intense and heavy rainfall,’ the NSW Emergency Services minister Jihad Dib said.
‘We are asking the community to take steps now to ensure that if you are asked to evacuate your home you have a plan for this and know where you will go.’
North Coast minister Rose Jackson said ‘The Northern Rivers community is strong and resilient, but we know this weather event is causing a real concern.
We assure the community – emergency services are on the ground and ready to help.’
