The latest information from the Bureau of Meteorology shows that Tropical Cyclone Alfred is now at Category 2, and is expected to make landfall between the Sunshine Coast and Grafton, with the eye currently expected to cross the coast just south of Brisbane.
As forecast, the cyclone changed direction and gathered intensity yesterday.
The winds near the centre of the system are currently at 95 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 130 kilometres per hour. The cyclone is now less than 465 kilometres east of Brisbane and 430 kilometres east of the Gold Coast, moving west at 11 kilometres per hour.
Alfred is expected to cross the coast late tomorrow (Thursday) or early Friday morning, most likely between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.
Hazards
Gales with damaging wind gusts to 120 kilometres per hour are expected to develop along the southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales coastal and island communities between Double Island Point and Grafton from later today and persist on Thursday.
Gales may extend further north from Double Island Point to Sandy Cape during Thursday if Alfred tracks further to the north. Destructive wind gusts of up to 155 kilometres per hour may develop about coastal and island locations near and to the south of the track from Thursday afternoon as Alfred’s destructive core approaches and crosses the coast.
A dangerous storm tide may occur along the coastal foreshore, particularly in areas near and south of the cyclone centre, if the time of coastal crossing coincides with the high tide during Thursday night or early Friday morning.
Tides are likely to rise significantly above the highest high tide mark with damaging waves and dangerous inundation of coastal low-lying areas.
Abnormally high tides are likely to continue causing minor flooding of coastal low-lying areas between Sandy Cape and Grafton, particularly during the time of high tides early Thursday morning (Wednesday night) and early Friday morning (Thursday night).
Damaging surf leading to significant beach erosion remains likely for the open beaches between Sandy Cape and Grafton, and further south over the NSW coast.
A separate Coastal Hazard and Hazardous Surf Warning is current for southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales coasts. Heavy rainfall is forecast for southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales from Thursday.
Heavy to locally intense rainfall which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flooding may occur near and south of the cyclone centre as Alfred approaches the coast late on Thursday.
A separate Severe Weather Warning and Flood Watch are current for southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales. Refer to associated warnings for Queensland and NSW at http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/warnings.
Recommended action
People between Double Island Point in Queensland and Grafton in New South Wales should immediately commence or continue preparations, especially securing boats and property.
For emergency assistance call the Queensland State Emergency Service or New South Wales State Emergency Service (SES) on 132 500 (for assistance with storm damage, rising flood water, fallen trees on buildings or roof damage).
The NSW SES advises people in the following area(s) to monitor conditions for forecast impacts from Tropical Cyclone Alfred including damaging wind gusts, heavy to locally intense rainfall, and severe coastal hazards such as abnormally high tides and hazardous surf:
Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, Mullumbimby, Byron Bay, Kyogle, Nimbin, Lismore, Lennox Head, Ballina, Casino, Woodburn, Maclean, Yamba, Kingscliff, Coraki, Wardell, Broadwater, Evans Head.
Heavy and locally intense rainfall may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding in the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and Northern Tablelands during Thursday, depending on the movement of the cyclone system.
The SES says, ‘This event may change quickly. NSW SES will monitor the situation and update warnings if the situation changes.’
What to do
- Avoid unnecessary travel, move indoors, bring children and pets with you.
- Park your car under secure cover and away from trees, powerlines and drains.
- If safe to do so, secure or put away items, such as outdoor furniture, trampolines and roofing iron that could blow around in strong winds.
- Grab your emergency kit in case you lose power or need to leave your home.
For more emergency information, listen to your local ABC radio station which can be found at reception.abc.net.au. Download the Hazards Near Me app and set your watch zones to get warning information for your areas.
Follow the SES on social media @NSWSES or visit their website at www.ses.nsw.gov.au. You can check the latest cyclone information at the BOM site here.
Check road closures at www.livetraffic.com.au or 132 701.
For emergency assistance during a flood, storm or tsunami, call the NSW SES on 132 500. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000).
Local aspiring meteorologist and storm chaser Matthew Cooke is also providing updates on Cyclone Alfred, specifically the risks to the Northern Rivers. You can find matthew_cloudspotting on Instagram.
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