'Rare' cyclone Alfred swirls off Australia's east coast, residents urged to evacuate

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: Mar 05, 2025 6:19 AM EST | Last Updated: March 5

Australia braced for a uncommon eastbound seashore tropical cyclone that is swirling toward Brisbane, its third-most populous city, with authorities urging residents successful flood-prone suburbs to evacuate soon.

Storm warnings connected Wednesday stretched for much than 500 kilometres crossed the seashore successful the states of Queensland and New South Wales, impacting millions of people.

Destructive upwind gusts of up to 155 km/h could make from Thursday afternoon, and tropical cyclone Alfred is expected to onshore arsenic a Category 2 tempest aboriginal connected Friday greeting adjacent Brisbane, Queensland's capital.

Total rainfall from the lawsuit could beryllium arsenic overmuch arsenic 800 mm successful immoderate regions, much than the mean full for March and could origin life-threatening flash flooding, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

"This is simply a precise uncommon lawsuit for south-east Queensland ... it has been galore decades since this portion of the authorities experienced [a cyclone]," Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told reporters.

He called connected residents to heed evacuation orders.

"If you are successful a tempest tide portion oregon you're successful an country wherever you cognize determination is riverine flooding, you truly request to see and deliberation astir your evacuation program now," Crisafulli said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said heavy-lift helicopters person been deployed and offered to "provide immoderate resources are required" for the authorities governments.

Many residents person near their homes arsenic authorities unreserved to unfastened evacuation centres. Sandbags are successful abbreviated proviso and supermarket shelves person been stripped bare arsenic radical banal up connected essentials.

Southeast Queensland and bluish New South Wales were past deed by a cyclone much than fractional a period agone successful 1974. The past clip a cyclone threatened Brisbane was successful 1990, but the strategy tracked southbound conscionable earlier reaching the city.

Schools successful southeast Queensland volition adjacent and nationalist transport volition unopen down connected Thursday and Friday.

A full of 122 schools successful the northbound of New South Wales volition beryllium closed connected Wednesday and Thursday, and susceptible residents volition beryllium urged to relocate by Thursday morning, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said.

"We request to bunker down implicit the adjacent 48 hours and get done what whitethorn beryllium a precise hard time," helium told reporters.

Qantas said it had cancelled a fig of flights from southeast Queensland and bluish New South Wales and much were apt implicit the coming days.

The Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned WPGA Championship lawsuit was called off and the Australian Football League has postponed 2 matches successful confederate Queensland.