Millions of people in Queensland and New South Wales have been warned to brace for days without power after Tropical Cyclone Alfred makes landfall later this week.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is heading for southeast Queensland, bringing massive waves and up to 700mm of rain.
Landfall is expected between late Thursday and Friday, affecting Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast, and Northern Rivers.
Residents are warned of damaging winds up to 120km/h and life-threatening flash flooding.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is now headed for the southeast Queensland coast, with millions of residents warned to prepare as the storm brings massive waves, isolated rainfalls of up to 700mm and “damaging to destructive winds”.
The weather event was upgraded to a category two system overnight and on Tuesday did a U-turn about 600km off Brisbane, headed directly for the coast of Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast where it is expected to make landfall on Thursday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has declared a 500km warning zone between Double Island Point in Queensland to Yamba in NSW, which includes the major population centres of Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina.
Sandy Cape to Double Island Point in Queensland, and Yamba to Grafton, not including Grafton, in NSW have been placed in the watch zone.
The BoM is warning high waves and falls of up to 200mm will batter parts of the Sunshine State and NSW.
But isolated rainfall totals could be even higher later in the week – potentially going to 400mm and even 700mm by the weekend.
BOM meteorologist Jonathon How said it would make landfall any time from late Thursday into Friday.
“The location of landfall will be critical because we are expecting to see the worst of the impacts, or most significant impacts, on the southern flank of the cyclone,” How said.
“That does include places like Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and also the Northern Rivers.”
Waves up to 9m high could be on the way too, meteorologist Miriam Bradbury warned.
Some 7m waves have already been recorded in North Stradbroke Island, in the Moreton Bay region north of Brisbane.
“We’re already starting to see large waves [with] this damaging surf impacting parts of the southeast Queensland coast,” Bradbury said.
“In addition to that we’re seeing dangerous conditions slightly offshore as well – large waves, seas and swell are anticipated over the next few days, growing towards the end of the week as the system nears the coast.
“Over the next couple of days, significant wave heights of 4m to 6m are quite likely through southeast Queensland and northeast NSW, but as we head towards Thursday and Friday we may see those significant wave heights pushing up to 7m, 8m or 9m.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred satellite image at 11.30am NZT yesterday and insets of Southport on Gold Coast and Duranbah on NSW coast with large swells beginning to impact. Photo / Composite Image, NZME, JMA
“Those are incredibly large waves and do produce incredibly dangerous conditions for any activities out on the water.”
Coastal hazard warnings were issued from Sandy Cape in Queensland down to Smoky Cape in NSW.
How said earlier that between 200mm and 400mm was expected to fall in the Sunshine Coast later in the week, while areas in the Gold Coast and Northern Rivers could experience falls between 500mm and 700mm.
“That includes places like Lismore, Mullumbimby, down towards Cape Byron and also inland parts of the Northern Rivers, as well.”
Southeast Queensland residents and northeastern NSW coastal communities between Tewantin and Grafton have been warned to brace for damaging wind gusts up to 120km/h as early as Wednesday.
Heavy rainfall is also forecast for the areas, with a warning for “dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding”.
The Bureau warns TC Alfred’s intensity may fluctuate in the coming days, but is expected to be a category two system when it crosses the southeast Queensland coast.
Energex regional field delivery general manager Kev Lavender said residents of southeast Queensland should prepare to go three days without power, however, it was too early to predict what the exact impacts would be.
Cyclone Alfred is tipped to make landfall in Brisbane by about 4am Friday. Photo / Bureau of Meteorology
‘Very rare’: Premier’s warning as 700mm falls forecast
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has called the system a “very rare” event for southeastern Queensland, but “not unprecedented” while asking Queenslanders to take the warnings seriously.
Speaking on Tuesday afternoon, Crisafulli said there was still an element of the population that had not yet fully understood the magnitude of the system.
Crisafulli outlined three stages of the expected event: big surf and significant erosion, then “damaging” to “destructive” winds and finally rain, which would bring flooding and possible storm surges.
He said readings of 7m waves had already been recorded off North Stradbroke Island.
The state’s island residents will experience the brunt of the cyclone in the days ahead – with Crisafulli urging people who might live in these low-lying coastal areas or on houseboats to look out for their welfare.
Several generators and additional health staff have been pre-deployed to some of the island regions.
Crisafulli said local councils would lead any evacuations and communicate with residents in affected areas.
A tropical cyclone watch has been issued by the bureau for the area from Sandy Cape on K’gari (Fraser Island) extending down to the NSW border.
Alfred is currently located 600km east of Brisbane.
BOM meteorologist Sue Oates said residents could expect destructive winds in excess of 95km/h, gusting up and above 130km/h, close to the system centre when it crosses the coast.
Daily rainfall totals are forecast to exceed 200mm but Oates said isolated falls could be even higher – reaching up to 400mm in some areas.
But other isolated falls over the weekend could go even further, up to 700mm.
Multiple flood watches for catchments and rivers have been issued by the bureau, extending down to the border.
Residents on North Stradbroke Island and Moreton Bay Island could be cut off from the mainland as ferry services are brought to a standstill. Many are deciding if they stay or evacuate immediately.
Multiple ferries will run final services on Tuesday, with Amity Trader to take off from Victoria Point at 11am and Coochiemudlo Island at 6.45pm, marking the last ferry until potentially Friday “depending on weather conditions”.
The Straddie Flyer will also run restricted services on Wednesday, while Southern Moreton Bay Island ferries may be cancelled on Wednesday.
SeaLink Bay Islands indicated services may also operate on a reduced schedule on Tuesday, however, services may be further affected on Wednesday and Thursday as the cyclone is forecast to hit Brisbane.
“We strongly advise postponing non-essential travel,” SeaLink Bay Islands posted to Facebook on Monday evening.
Abnormally high tides on the coast between Sandy Cape and Yamba were forecast until at least Friday, with “significant beach erosion” due to damaging surf also a concern for open beaches between Sandy Cape and Yamba.
Multiple flood watches have been issued for catchments and rivers across both states.
Residents warned of potentially ‘significant damage to properties’
Property and trees may be damaged as the cyclone gets closer.
Residents are also being warned of potentially widespread and dangerous flash flooding and strong winds into Friday.
But some have ignored the pending warnings – with footage capturing surfers in Byron Bay catching waves on the swell created by Tropical Cyclone Alfred at The Pass.
Many have been surfing since Monday, when the initial forecasts worsened.
Beaches being ‘eaten away’
Flood watches were issued for areas across southeast Queensland and northeast NSW, with rainfall totals of up to 400mm expected in some areas.
How said widespread moderate to major flooding was expected for Queensland’s southeast, but also particularly in NSW.
“We still do have those very powerful easterly waves coming through, combining with high tides, and that’s causing quite significant and severe coastal erosion and causing a lot of those beaches to be eaten away.”
All beaches between Byron Bay and the Sunshine Coast have been closed, according to The Australian.
Shelves stripped bare as panic buying sets in
Supermarket shelves were stripped bare on Monday evening, with water selling out across multiple Queensland suburbs, the Courier Mail reported.
Other essentials including milk and bread were also running low.
said Queenslanders should prepare to be without power and stock up on water, spare batteries and phone chargers.
“There is no harm in preparing and then not needing it.”
Over in NSW, toilet paper and bottled water were in low supply in Lismore on Tuesday while high-clearance rescue vehicles were deployed in the Lismore area in preparation for the cyclone.
Empty shelves in Coles Supermarket in Newmarket were people have been panic buying ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Photo / NewsWire, John Gass
Residents scramble for sandbags
NSW SES Commissioner Mike Wassing on Monday urged locals to be prepared by cleaning up and removing loose items from around homes.
“We will be experiencing those high winds, heavy rainfall and the significant surf, irrespective of that location of crossing – practical things beyond the cleaning up of loose items around your home, if you need to be doing some sandbagging, now’s the time to do that,” Wassing said.
More than 70,000 sandbags were collected from Brisbane City Council alone on Monday, with the council reporting “unprecedented demand” had made the items temporarily unavailable into the evening.
However, the council moved to a 24-hour sandbag production and would activate temporary sandbag sites across the city from Tuesday.
Gold Coast City Council opened three collection sites on Monday, however, high demand prompted the opening of “DIY sandbag sites” from 8am Tuesday, meaning residents will need to fill sandbags with their own shovels.
Cyclone ‘already impacting’ NSW
The effects of the cyclone have already reached NSW, the SES said, with destructive winds and large surf hitting the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers.
Locals were urged to stock up on essentials and prepare for floods.
Areas between Cape Byron and Grafton are forecast to be affected by the cyclone, based on the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest forecast map.
Bureau of Meteorology hazard preparedness manager Steven Bernasconi on Wednesday said NSW was forecast to experience gale-force winds within 24 and 48 hours as a result of the cyclone.
He said “large and powerful swells and waves” had already been recorded on NSW’s northeast corner on Monday, with abnormally high tides expected on Tuesday.
He said there would be abnormally high tides and rainfall should increase into Wednesday evening, with the potential for “locally intense falls” moving into Thursday and Friday.
“Extreme winds” of 100km/h are expected towards Thursday and Friday, with waves in the southeast to potentially reach 8m and other offshore waves up to 15m.
The tropical cyclone watch spans from Sandy Cape down to the Coffs Harbour region in NSW, however, Bernasconi declined to say whether metro areas of NSW would also be affected by the weather event.
“That’s the current watch area for the tropical cyclone and its impacts,” Bernasconi said.
“There’ll be rain elsewhere, of course, and there’ll be wind elsewhere, but that’s the focus area.”
Roads could be closed and properties inundated in parts of the Northern Rivers and Mid-North Coast as quickly as Wednesday, NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan said according to reports by the Daily Telegraph.
“We have also sent communication equipment, support personnel, aviation resources and specialised vehicles ahead of the forecasted impacts later this week,” Hogan said.
“Moderate to major riverine flooding and flash flooding is possible which could close roads, inundate properties and lead to evacuations in some parts of the Northern Rivers and Mid-North Coast from Wednesday through to at least the weekend.”
‘Prepare for the worst’: Minns
NSW Premier Chris Minns urged people to listen to emergency communications and not to put themselves or volunteer rescue workers at risk by not driving through floodwaters.
“We hope for the best, but we prepare for the worst,” Minns said on Today.
Just days on from the three-year anniversary of the Lismore floods Minns said this cyclone warning “brings back all the worst horrors of 2022”.
“But obviously it takes a big mental toll, so we’re thinking of those communities.
“We will rebuild with them the day after the storm has been completed, but we just ask everyone to be alert, be prepared.
“The best government in the world, the best placed government in the world, the best prepared emergency services can’t cover everything all the time, and we really rely on the community to get prepared for the worst case scenario.
“So please, please be alert to the latest circumstances and keep the communications up.”
