Tropical Cyclone Alfred is bearing down on Queensland, Australia, prompting widespread concern and regional preparation.
Multiple news agencies, including the BBC, ABC News, and others, have reported on the intensifying storm, which is expected to bring destructive winds, heavy rainfall, and potential life-threatening flooding to southeast Queensland and parts of northern New South Wales.
With landfall anticipated late Friday or early Saturday, authorities and residents are bracing for significant impacts.
According to the BBC, weather experts have described Cyclone Alfred as “erratic,” and its path has slowed in recent days.
This unpredictability has delayed earlier predictions of landfall, giving communities additional time to prepare but also heightening anxiety.
ABC News cites the Bureau of Meteorology as having classified Alfred as a category two system. Winds near the center reach up to 95 km/h (59 mph) and gusts as high as 130 km/h.
Matthew Collopy from the Bureau noted that the storm’s slow track increases the “very high risk of significant impacts,” as prolonged exposure could amplify damage from wind and flooding.
ABC News has tracked the cyclone’s progression, reporting that it intensified into a category two system on March 3 and shifted toward southeast Queensland later that day.
By March 5, forecasts indicated the storm’s center would likely cross the coast between Maroochydore and Coolangatta. This stretch includes Brisbane, Australia’s third-largest city, and popular coastal areas like the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.
The scale of the response underscores the storm’s threat.
The BBC reported that nearly 1,000 schools have closed, public transport has been suspended, and airports have shut down, with flights not expected to resume until Sunday at the earliest.
Elective surgeries have also been canceled as hospitals prepare for potential emergencies.
Local authorities have been distributing sandbags to residents in low-lying areas, a measure echoed by ABC News, which highlighted the council’s efforts to open sandbag depots across the region following the devastating floods of February 2022.
The BBC also noted that four million people are in the storm’s path, a figure that encapsulates the densely populated corridor between the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.
Despite the looming danger, some surfers have been spotted taking advantage of the massive waves at Kirra, a famed surf spot, illustrating a mix of defiance and opportunism amid the crisis.
ABC News emphasized the growing tension as conditions intensify along the Queensland and New South Wales coasts.
Posts on X have echoed this sentiment, with updates warning of winds up to 150 km/h and rainfall totals of 400 mm per day—figures that could overwhelm infrastructure and flood-prone areas.
Brisbane’s Lord Mayor reported the storm’s slow movement via X on March 5, keeping residents on edge. Officials are urging them to stay informed through local radio and social media updates.
The historical context adds urgency to the preparations.
The BBC referenced the 2022 floods that damaged thousands of homes along Australia’s east coast, a memory that has spurred authorities to act swiftly.
Residents like Donnie Neal, quoted by the BBC, recognize the gravity of the situation, acknowledging that “people could lose their houses.”
