Authorities warn of life-threatening conditions ahead of the storm’s landfall near Brisbane.
**Evacuation Orders in Australia as Cyclone Alfred Approaches**
**Evacuation Orders in Australia as Cyclone Alfred Approaches**
Thousands forced to evacuate as Tropical Cyclone Alfred targets Australia's eastern coast, leaving many without power.
At least 15,000 residents have been evacuated as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches the eastern coast of Australia, expected to make landfall near Brisbane, which houses approximately 2.7 million people. As of Friday afternoon, the cyclone was positioned about 80 miles off the coast, already causing flooding due to unusually high tides. Areas in New South Wales are particularly at risk, with around 29,000 homes marked vulnerable to flooding and another 15,000 residents under evacuation orders.
Reports indicate that approximately 38,000 households in New South Wales and 46,000 in Queensland are currently without power. The storm's slow movement, at roughly 5 miles per hour, could heighten its impact, extending periods of heavy rainfall and potentially causing severe storm surges in affected coastal areas. Towns like Lismore, still recovering from tragic flooding in 2022, are bracing for Alfred's expected onslaught.
As the storm nears, wind gusts have already reached 75 miles per hour, and residents are cautioned about dangerous flash-flooding conditions that could arise even prior to landfall. Meteorological experts from Australia's Bureau of Meteorology affirm that this will be the first cyclone to make landfall along Queensland’s southeast coast since 1974.
With hundreds of schools already closed, and public transport suspended in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, residents are responding to the looming threat by stocking up on supplies and acquiring sandbags. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that emergency federal funds will be allocated to support recovery efforts in both states following the storm, which has drawn surf enthusiasts to the coastline to ride the unprecedented waves sparked by the cyclone.
Reports indicate that approximately 38,000 households in New South Wales and 46,000 in Queensland are currently without power. The storm's slow movement, at roughly 5 miles per hour, could heighten its impact, extending periods of heavy rainfall and potentially causing severe storm surges in affected coastal areas. Towns like Lismore, still recovering from tragic flooding in 2022, are bracing for Alfred's expected onslaught.
As the storm nears, wind gusts have already reached 75 miles per hour, and residents are cautioned about dangerous flash-flooding conditions that could arise even prior to landfall. Meteorological experts from Australia's Bureau of Meteorology affirm that this will be the first cyclone to make landfall along Queensland’s southeast coast since 1974.
With hundreds of schools already closed, and public transport suspended in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, residents are responding to the looming threat by stocking up on supplies and acquiring sandbags. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced that emergency federal funds will be allocated to support recovery efforts in both states following the storm, which has drawn surf enthusiasts to the coastline to ride the unprecedented waves sparked by the cyclone.
