Australian authorities today ordered thousands of residents in the east of the country to evacuate their homes, before tropical cyclone “Alfred” makes landfall tomorrow, Saturday.
The slow progress of the cyclone towards the coast has raised concerns that it could bring heavy rain for a prolonged period, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement.
The cyclone is expected to make landfall north of Brisbane, Australia’s third-most populous city, as a category 2 cyclone.
The hurricane brought heavy rains, high waves and strong winds, causing power outages, transportation disruptions and school closures.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said dozens of evacuation centres had been opened and urged residents in the path of the cyclone to prepare an evacuation plan and secure their homes.
Winds of more than 100 kilometres per hour hit coastal areas of Queensland and New South Wales overnight, leaving more than 80,000 homes without power.
The cyclone also closed Brisbane Airport and disrupted transport in the city, in addition to closing more than 1,000 schools in southeast Queensland and 280 schools in northern New South Wales.
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