Australia’s East Coast Braces for First Tropical Cyclone in Decades, Millions Under Warning
Millions of residents along Australia’s east coast are preparing for their first tropical cyclone in over half a century as authorities urge evacuations from flood-prone areas, Al Jazeera reports.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is predicted to impact a significant portion of the coastline, prompting storm warnings across more than 311 miles of Queensland and New South Wales.
The storm is expected to make landfall as a Category 2 cyclone early Friday morning near Brisbane, Queensland’s capital and Australia’s third-largest city, home to 2.5 million people. Forecasters predict sustained winds of up to 155km/h (96mph) associated with Alfred.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has warned of potentially extreme rainfall, with some regions possibly receiving up to 31.5 inches – exceeding the average total rainfall for the entire month of March. Authorities have stressed the potential for life-threatening flash flooding due to the heavy rainfall.
The last cyclone to directly impact Southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales was in 1974. While a cyclone threatened Brisbane in 1990, it narrowly missed the city.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has offered federal assistance, stating the government will “provide whatever resources are required” for state governments to conduct rescue operations.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns urged residents to “bunker down over the next 48 hours and get through what may be a very difficult time.” He expressed particular concern for communities residing along creeks and rivers in northern New South Wales, anticipating significant flooding in those areas.
