Cyclone Alfred is slowly making its way towards southeast Queensland, and residents in several parts of northern NSW are being urged to prepare for evacuation as the storm intensifies. Forecasters predict gale-force winds will start hitting coastal areas, from Double Island Point north of the Sunshine Coast down to Grafton in northern NSW, overnight into Thursday.
While Brisbane is still expected to bear the brunt of the category 2 storm's destructive core, the Bureau of Meteorology has widened its forecast for landfall, pushing it later into Friday. As of 1am Thursday (2am AEDT), the cyclone was 325 kilometers east of Brisbane, and the latest track map showed it could approach Brisbane around 1pm Friday, though there’s still some uncertainty. Earlier predictions had it crossing the coast by Thursday night.
What’s making things even more concerning is that the storm is moving slowly, at just 7 km/h. A slower-moving cyclone can cause more damage, particularly when it comes to flooding.
Alfred is expected to bring destructive wind gusts up to 155 km/h near its core, with 120 km/h gusts spreading across the warning area. But the real worry is the heavy rain, especially in areas south of the cyclone's eye, where up to 400mm could fall in just one day. This, combined with dangerous storm tides and abnormally high tides, could lead to major flooding.
There’s also the possibility that the storm could intensify into a category 3 system just before it makes landfall, as it slows down and gains strength.
In northern NSW, caravan parks and exposed areas like Pottsville, Hastings Point, Fingal Head, and Kyogle were advised to evacuate, though many residents stayed behind to ride out the storm. Some areas, like Bellinger River, are expected to face major flooding starting Friday, with the town of Bellingen at risk by Saturday.
Meanwhile, southeast Queensland is taking no chances. Public transport in the region shut down at midnight Thursday, and over 1000 schools are closed. Flood alerts have been issued for around 6000 properties on the Gold Coast, with the effects expected to reach Logan.
NSW Premier Chris Minns arrived in Lismore on Wednesday night to get updates from the emergency operations center, as the town braces for up to 800mm of rain in the coming days.
There's concern the already weakened levee might not hold against the rising waters, but evacuation centers have been set up, and extra SES personnel have been mobilized.
It’s a tense time for many in the affected areas, and everyone is being urged to stay alert and prepared for what could be a dangerous few days ahead.
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