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Cyclone Alfred update: more than 70,000 in two states without power as winds and torrential rain batter Australia’s coast Cyclone Alfred update: Gold Coast residents told to ‘take shelter now’ as NSW authorities search for man missing in flood waters
(about 3 hours later)
Weather bureau says there is ‘considerable uncertainty’ around where and when system could make landfall between Noosa and Coolangatta in Queensland Almost 100,000 homes in Queensland and NSW were without power on Friday evening as Tropical Cyclone Alfred crawled towards the coast
More than 70,000 people in two states have lost power, as damaging winds, huge waves and heavy rainfall from the approaching Tropical Cyclone Alfred begin to batter coastal communities. Gold Coast residents have been urged to stay home and “take shelter”, potentially for days, in a string of alerts from Broadbeach to Jacob Well and South Stradbroke Island.
Forecasters said Alfred may make a “prolonged” coastal crossing, as the category two storm moved slowly towards landfall in south-east Queensland. As a search continued for a man washed into flood waters in northern New South Wales, more than 97,000 homes in Queensland and NSW were without power on Friday evening as Tropical Cyclone Alfred crawled towards the coast. Telecommunications were also knocked out for many.
The Bureau of Meteorology was updating its tracking forecast every hour, and the corridor for Alfred to cross the mainland coast had narrowed. It was now likely between Noosa and Beenleigh about 11am on Saturday. The storm is expected to remain at category 2 as it begins to hit islands in Moreton Bay overnight. It is forecast to drop to category 1 when it makes landfall between Noosa and Beenleigh later on Saturday.
Forecasters have said the cyclone’s wayward behaviour as it approaches heavily populated parts of south-east Queensland was creating “considerable uncertainty” in predicting where and when the system could make landfall. Destructive wind gusts of up to 150km/h are possible around the exposed island coasts and coastal locations.
Alfred performed another pirouette on Thursday evening, looping around on its path and further delaying its progress. At 4pm AEST, Alfred was sitting about 115km east of Brisbane and moving about 7km/h – or a “slow jog pace” – according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Alfred’s slow progress to the mainland could prolong already severe conditions to the south of its projected path, particularly in parts of the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales already experiencing coastal erosion from wild surf, intense rain and potential flooding. “The slow-moving system is actually worse for our city,” the Gold Coast acting mayor, Donna Gates, said.
The waves had swallowed a large chunk of some Gold Coast beaches, turning tide lines into pseudo three-metre cliff faces.
Thousands of people in parts of the NSW northern rivers were told to leave their homes on Thursday night, including residents in Lismore’s CBD, north and south. The community was devastated by flooding in 2022. In total 29,000 dwellings in NSW were under evacuation orders as of midday Friday.
Evacuation orders had been issued as far south as the Nambucca shire – more than 400km south of the Queensland-NSW border – with river levels expected to rise on Friday morning.
Energy providers in Queensland and NSW said that large numbers of customers had lost power – about 40,000 north of the Tweed and 36,000 to the south of the border.
The main issue had been heavy winds bringing down trees and power lines. Authorities warned there might be delays in power being reconnected, and that transmission companies would do so only when it was safe.
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The NSW State Emergency Service said on Friday it had already responded to 3,495 incidents. Overnight it responded to five flood rescues. “It increases the risk of heavy rain over an extended period. So this again is a concern in relation to flooding.”
Alfred was forecast to remain a category two tropical cyclone until it reached Moreton Bay. If it comes through the bay, there was a chance the system may lose some intensity as it passes the bay islands. A string of emergency warnings were sent out on Friday afternoon.
Matthew Collopy, a senior forecaster from the Bureau of Meteorology, said it would most likely cross the mainland coast as a category one cyclone. Emergency alerts were issued for the entire Redland city area, and in the Gold Coast from Broadbeach to Jacobs Well and South Stradbroke Island.
“It’s important to note that exact track is still uncertain and that tropical cyclone warnings will now be updated every hour based on the latest radar and satellite imagery,” Collopy said. An alert issued by the Redland city council for islands in Moreton Bay ordered residents to “take shelter now in the strongest part of the building you are in”.
“Destructive wind gusts up to 150km/h are possible about the exposed island coasts and coastal locations near and to the south of the system,” he said. Meanwhile, thousands of people in parts of the NSW northern rivers were told to leave their homes on Thursday night, including residents in Lismore’s CBD, north and south. The community was devastated by flooding in 2022.
“As the cyclone moves across Moreton Bay islands, it is expected to weaken from a category two to a category one system. That will mean that destructive winds are unlikely for Brisbane itself, but damaging wind gusts to 120km/h are expected and they will develop quickly as the system approaches.” A man is missing after his four-wheel-drive was washed off a bridge by fast-moving flood waters north-east of Dorrigo in northern NSW on Friday afternoon.
Collopy said the main concern would quickly become potential for flooding. He left the car and secured himself to a tree but was swept away about 3pm, NSW police said. He is still missing.
The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, said there had been rainfall totals of about 200mm in the last 24 hours in some parts of south-east Queensland and much more was expected.
Major flood warnings have been issued for the Logan and Albert rivers. Expected rainfall totals over 24 hours are upward of 300mm to 400mm as the system crosses.
The acting Queensland police commissioner, Shane Chelepy, said there had not yet been loss of life or missing persons in Queensland.
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“In terms of the flooding, those rainfall amounts we’re seeing will be the major concern as we move forward,” he said. Some Gold Coast suburbs have lost telecommunication coverage after 26 mobile base stations lost power and ran out of battery, he said. Those locations include Bilinga, Bilinga North, Binna Burra, Burleigh Waters, Coolangatta, O’Reilly’s, Parkwood, Bundle, Reedy Creek, Mudgeeraba, Karumba and Springbrook.
“The flash flooding due to those intense rainfalls as well as widespread minor to major riverine flooding.” “The moment it is safe to do so, our telcos, which we have been engaged with, will get into those errors and try to get generation to those stations,” he said.
The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, said there had not yet been any inundation from homes from storm surge and that this is “really, really good news”. Matthew Collopy, a senior forecaster with the bureau, said Alfred would most likely cross the mainland coast as a category 1 cyclone.
“There’s another high tide this afternoon and a slightly larger one tomorrow morning – slightly larger than this afternoon – so we’ll continue to watch that as the system approaches but particularly good news there was no inundation overnight,” Crisafulli said. “Destructive wind gusts up to 150km/h are possible about the exposed island coasts and coastal locations near and to the south of the system,” he said.
The BoM’s tracking maps were a “best estimate”, using information from a number of models that predict how the cyclone may behave. Forecasters were accurately able to provide communities with significant warning that Alfred would turn west on Tuesday and head towards the coast. “As the cyclone moves across Moreton Bay islands, it is expected to weaken from a category 2 to a category 1 system. That will mean that destructive winds are unlikely for Brisbane itself, but damaging wind gusts to 120km/h are expected and they will develop quickly as the system approaches.”
But as if to underscore the difficulty of giving precise information, Alfred was not taking a direct route back to Brisbane. Flood watches remain in place from the Mary River through Sunshine Coast creeks and rivers, the Pine and Caboolture rivers, Gold Coast creeks and rivers, as well as the upper and lower Brisbane and the Condamine, McIntyre and Weir rivers. A major flood warning is current for the Logan rivers.
Having lingered in the Coral Sea for almost a fortnight, Alfred had now performed several pirouettes since turning and making an unsteady course towards the mainland.
Late on Thursday the system performed another loop, further delaying its progress to the coast.
“The system maintains a general westerly track, however it recently completed a small loop, similar to previous loops that have occurred over the past few days,” the BoM said in its update on Friday.
“It would not be a surprise to see further short-term variations in the track as Alfred nears the coast, which will be an important consideration when following the system on radar.”
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