An "extremely rare" Category 2 storm is set to strike southeastern Australia as locals occupying the cyclone’s projected path are warned to "act now".
Cyclone Alfred is currently on track to strike the Queensland coast.
The storm is moving towards Australia’s southeastern coast at 16kmph - but there are fears it may slow down to 11kmph.
This would be the “worst case scenario”, Thomas Hinterdorfer, COO and Chief Forecaster of Higgins Storm Chasing said.
“There is a chance this cyclone will cross in the middle of the night with a high tide. That is not the time to be making your evacuation plan, now is the time,” Queensland premier David Crisafulli said.
It is forecast to make landfall early on Friday as a Category 2 cyclone, between Maroochydore and Coolangatta.
Meteorologist and social commentator, Jim Dale told GB News: "At the moment, the cyclone is offshore 250 miles off Brisbane - Category 2 and likely to be Category 2 as it moves inland just north of Brisbane between Thursday and Friday.
"Torrential 200-500mm rain is expected with major flooding throughout the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coasts.
"The impacts are already underway and the various impact elements will be sustained, including coastal floodwater inundation.
"The heavy rain will continue into the weekend and highly populated areas will not escape. It’s cyclone season but this is a rarity for this region; having to go back to Cyclone Nancy in 1990 to find similar.
"My own take is that thankfully evacuations are taking place and only those that stupidly ignore such warnings from the professionals are likely to put themselves at risk, but flood and wind damage will be extensive - particularly if Alfred moves very slowly, as expected."
Anthony Albanese, Australian Prime Minister, said the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is now engaged in responding to Cyclone Alfred.
He told the media that an additional 250,000 sandbags will be delivered to the Queensland government.
"We put in place a national supply; 125,000 of those have already been delivered," he said.
"That’s on top of the 80,000 that were delivered by the ADF already."
The Bureau of Meteorology has suggested that the storm is now roughly 325km east of Brisbane.
The cyclone is the first to directly impact Brisbane since Nancy in 1990.
In order to prepare for the threat, the city is shutting down trains, buses and ferry services from Wednesday.
The warning zone of Cyclone Alfred stretches almost 500km along the east coast of Australia, from Double Island Point in Queensland to Ballina in New South Wales.
Several live fixtures and events have accordingly been cancelled in Queensland and New South Wales.
Flights are also being cancelled across the regions, with Gold Coast Airport closing from 4pm today until further notice, while flights to and from Ballina Byron Gateway Airport and Coffs Harbour Airport have also been affected.
Coolangatta and Ballina have already been hit by 120kmph gusts, while coastal areas as far south as Cape Byron could be struck with winds up to 155kmph from Thursday afternoon.
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Cyclone Alfred is currently on track to strike the Queensland coast.
The storm is moving towards Australia’s southeastern coast at 16kmph - but there are fears it may slow down to 11kmph.
This would be the “worst case scenario”, Thomas Hinterdorfer, COO and Chief Forecaster of Higgins Storm Chasing said.
“There is a chance this cyclone will cross in the middle of the night with a high tide. That is not the time to be making your evacuation plan, now is the time,” Queensland premier David Crisafulli said.
It is forecast to make landfall early on Friday as a Category 2 cyclone, between Maroochydore and Coolangatta.
Meteorologist and social commentator, Jim Dale told GB News: "At the moment, the cyclone is offshore 250 miles off Brisbane - Category 2 and likely to be Category 2 as it moves inland just north of Brisbane between Thursday and Friday.
"Torrential 200-500mm rain is expected with major flooding throughout the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coasts.
"The impacts are already underway and the various impact elements will be sustained, including coastal floodwater inundation.
"The heavy rain will continue into the weekend and highly populated areas will not escape. It’s cyclone season but this is a rarity for this region; having to go back to Cyclone Nancy in 1990 to find similar.
"My own take is that thankfully evacuations are taking place and only those that stupidly ignore such warnings from the professionals are likely to put themselves at risk, but flood and wind damage will be extensive - particularly if Alfred moves very slowly, as expected."
Anthony Albanese, Australian Prime Minister, said the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is now engaged in responding to Cyclone Alfred.
He told the media that an additional 250,000 sandbags will be delivered to the Queensland government.
"We put in place a national supply; 125,000 of those have already been delivered," he said.
"That’s on top of the 80,000 that were delivered by the ADF already."
The Bureau of Meteorology has suggested that the storm is now roughly 325km east of Brisbane.
The cyclone is the first to directly impact Brisbane since Nancy in 1990.
In order to prepare for the threat, the city is shutting down trains, buses and ferry services from Wednesday.
The warning zone of Cyclone Alfred stretches almost 500km along the east coast of Australia, from Double Island Point in Queensland to Ballina in New South Wales.
Several live fixtures and events have accordingly been cancelled in Queensland and New South Wales.
Flights are also being cancelled across the regions, with Gold Coast Airport closing from 4pm today until further notice, while flights to and from Ballina Byron Gateway Airport and Coffs Harbour Airport have also been affected.
Coolangatta and Ballina have already been hit by 120kmph gusts, while coastal areas as far south as Cape Byron could be struck with winds up to 155kmph from Thursday afternoon.
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