Residents are collecting sandbags to protect their property as a tropical cyclone, which could be the first in 51 years, is expected to hit Australia's east coast near Brisbane, the country's third-largest city.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is forecast to cross the coast between Queensland's capital Brisbane and the popular tourist city of the Gold Coast to the south on Thursday evening or early Friday, Bureau of Meteorology manager Matt Collopy said.
Brisbane and the Gold Coast are a contiguous urban agglomeration, with their centres located 50 miles apart.
Alfred was over the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, 250 miles east of Brisbane and moving west. Winds at its center reached 59 mph, with gusts of 81 mph.
“These are dangerous winds,” Mr Collopy said. The cyclone was expected to remain strong until it made landfall.
“There have been high waves and strong tides along the Queensland coast for several days, causing significant coastal erosion and flooding,” Mr Collopy told reporters in Brisbane.
“This situation will continue and likely worsen as the system approaches land.”
He added that heavy rains and dangerous flooding are expected in the coming days.
“Waves, wind, precipitation and especially storm surge pose serious risks,” Mr Collopy said.
Cyclones are common in tropical north Queensland, but rare in the temperate and densely populated south-eastern corner of the state, adjacent to New South Wales.
Cyclone Zoe crossed the coastline on the southern Gold Coast on the New South Wales border in March 1974, causing severe flooding.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government would provide the Queensland government with 250,000 sandbags, adding to the 80,000 already donated by the military.
“This is an unusual event – a tropical cyclone in a region that is not considered part of the tropics, here in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Brisbane.
“That's why these preparatory measures are so important,” Mr Albanese added.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said modelling suggested up to 20,000 homes in his city of more than three million people could be subject to varying degrees of flooding.
A cyclone refuge centre will be set up at the Brisbane Exhibition Centre for people with nowhere to go during the storm. Long-stay evacuation centres will also be opened, Mr Schrinner said.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said from Wednesday afternoon no vessels docked in the region would be allowed to move without permission from the Brisbane Harbour Master due to the cyclone threat.
Schools will be closed from Thursday, hospitals will not perform elective surgeries and public transport in the affected area will not operate, he said.
Mr Crisafulli urged people to prepare their homes and develop evacuation routes.
He said 68 people were evacuated from South Stradbroke Island, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, on Tuesday evening and evacuations continued on Wednesday.
“This is an extremely rare event for south-east Queensland and I recognise that, but I urge Queenslanders to take this seriously and I want you to know that we are taking this seriously as well,” Mr Crisafulli said.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
