Cyclone Alfred nears Australian coast as millions face ‘worst-case scenario’: Updates

More schools in NSW are closing this week due to the potential impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, including flooding risks.

Over 230 public schools, 29 Catholic schools, five independent schools, and 16 TAFE campuses have shut down, with two TAFE campuses now serving as evacuation centres.

NSW education minister Prue Car emphasised that safety is the top priority.

“While we usually do not advocate for the closure of schools and places of learning, in these circumstances, an abundance of caution can be what keeps our community safe.”

Schools are expected to reopen on Monday, 10 March.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese says: “I want residents in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales to know that we are prepared. We will get through this – together.”

Prime minister Anthony Albanese says that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is now formally engaged in responding to Tropical Cyclone Alfred, as the system threatens Queensland and northern New South Wales.

An additional 250,000 sandbags will be delivered to the Queensland government, he told the media.

“We put in place a national supply; 125,000 of those have already been delivered,” Mr Albanese says. “That’s on top of the 80,000 that were delivered by the ADF already.”

Gold Coast Airport will shut down from 4pm AEST on Wednesday due to the approaching cyclone.

“Passengers affected will be contacted by their airline regarding their options to reschedule travel,” a statement from Gold Coast Airport said.

“The terminal building will be closed and there will be no public access from this time. For anyone seeking shelter, the closest evacuation centre is at Burleigh Waters Community Centre at 111 Christine Ave, Burleigh Waters.”

Gold Coast acting Mayor Donna Gates has urged people not to leave their homes after 6pm tonight.

“This looks like the most significant event in our city in terms of destructive winds and heavy rain that we’ve seen since 1954,” she said today.

“Let me reiterate that this is going to be a very widespread event, and the modelling shows for the canal estates, just as it does for anyone on a dry residential block.”

People are being told to “get out now” as Australia’s southeastern coast braces for a rare landfall of a tropical cyclone, churning towards Queensland and prompting warnings across two states.

Alfred, classified as a Category 1 system on Monday, is intensifying off Queensland’s coast and is expected to be one of the most destructive in the region in decades.

The cyclone is forecast to strengthen to a Category 2 system early morning on Tuesday, before making landfall between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast late Thursday or early Friday.

If Alfred makes landfall as projected, it will be the first cyclone to directly impact Brisbane since Nancy in 1990.

Alfred is about 450km northeast of Brisbane, moving southwest at 20kmph, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

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Residents were stacking sandbags to protect low-lying properties Wednesday ahead of a tropical cyclone forecast to become the first in 51 years to hit the Australian east coast near Brisbane, the nation’s third-most populous city.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is forecast to cross the coast between the Queensland state capital Brisbane and the tourist city of Gold Coast to the south late Thursday or early Friday, Bureau of Meteorology manager Matt Collopy said. Brisbane and Gold Coast are a continuous urban sprawl. Their centers are 80 kilometers (50 miles) apart.

Alfred was over the Pacific Ocean 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Brisbane and tracking west Wednesday with sustained winds near the center of 95 kph (59 mph) with gusts to 130 kph (81 mph).

“That is destructive winds,” Collopy said. It was expected to maintain that strength until reaching land.

“Large swells and powerful waves have been observed along the Queensland coast for several days now with severe coastal erosion and inundation happening,” Collopy told reporters in Brisbane. “This will continue and likely get worse as the system approaches and makes landfall.”

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A 78-year-old woman was hospitalised with head injuries after being swept up by a large wave at Currumbin Beach on Wednesday evening.

The Queensland Ambulance Service confirmed she sustained a deep cut but was in stable condition at Gold Coast University Hospital.

Acting Mayor Donna Gates urged residents to avoid beaches as the storm nears.

Authorities are warning of damaging winds, heavy rain, storm surges, and coastal erosion, with landfall expected late Thursday or early Friday north of Brisbane.

On Tuesday, Alfred was 600km east of the Queensland-New South Wales border, taking a sudden turn westward after several days of southeast movement.

“Tropical Cyclone Alfred has just changed direction and is now heading towards the QLD Coast,” the premier, David Crisafulli, said on Tuesday evening on social media.

“We’re prepared for this weather event and we’re asking Queenslanders to do the same.

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Meta reportedly blocked or hid Facebook search results for “Cyclone Alfred” ahead of the storm’s landfall on Australia’s east coast, despite the platform being crucial for emergency updates.

Searches for the term led to nearly blank pages or Meta’s Climate Science Centre, which contained no cyclone-related information, ABC News reported.

Some general searches for cyclones still returned results, suggesting targeted suppression of “Cyclone Alfred”, the outlet said.

The Queensland government and federal officials contacted Meta about the issue, and some news content reappeared after inquiries, but restrictions remained on certain accounts and devices.

Searching for the hashtag #cyclonealfred resulted in a blank page with a message saying that “posts with cyclonealfred are temporarily hidden here due to content that violates our Community Standards”.