Tens of thousands of people are without power across southeast Queensland and northern NSW and thousands more have been ordered to evacuate as Cyclone Alfred inches its way towards the coast.
Damaging 120km/h wind gusts were already developing between Moreton Island and Byron Bay on Thursday night, potentially 24 hours or more before the historic storm’s predicted landfall.
In Pictures: Cyclone Alfred spotted from space as it approaches Queensland coast
NSW Premier Chris Minns said there may not be enough boats for every house in the flood evacuation zone if they remain.
Thousands of people in Lismore and other flood-prone parts of Northern NSW were ordered to evacuate amid forecasts flooding would cut off their escape routes. “Those communities, if they remain in the area, they become trapped, they may be without power, water and other essential services for an extended period of time,” he said.
“We’re forecasting very heavy rain and, in the event of that, evacuation routes may be closed.”
At 10pm (11pm AEDT) on Thursday, Alfred was 245 kilometres east of Brisbane – further from the coast than three hours previously – and once again crawling towards land. It was described as “slow moving” after being clocked at just 6km/h earlier in the night.
Its slow pace, coupled with those unexpected loops in its path on Thursday and Wednesday nights, blew out forecasters’ predictions about landfall for the southernmost cyclone to hit Australia in 50 years.
The Bureau of Meteorology said it was expected to cross the coast Friday night or even early Saturday morning, as a category 2 storm, with destructive 155km/h winds to be felt near the core throughout Friday.
The last passenger flight into Brisbane arrived at 3.35pm, with no timetable for flights to resume.
The plane was due to land in Toowoomba, leaving players and staff to take a bus back to their families in the capital.
Earlier on Thursday, Gold Coasters given the day off school flocked to the beach to watch surfers assisted with jet skis try their luck with massive barrelling waves on what turned out to be an otherwise fairly calm morning on land.
The crowds and daredevils sparked a warning from police of $16,000 fines for anyone who refused to get out of the ocean.Â
Footage of residents struggling in water emerged after the region saw tidal surges from cyclonic winds.
Lifesavers this morning witnessed a “large number of near misses” where people standing close to the shore were forced to flee from a rush of water sweeping in, Surf Life Saving Queensland lifesaving services manager Natalie Edwards said.
