Rare cyclone threatens millions of Australia's east coast

Rare cyclone threatens millions of Australia's east coast

Brisbane, Australia - Millions of residents along the east coast of Australia are preparing for the effects of the strongest cyclone that has threatened the region for more than five decades. The tropical cyclone Alfred, comparable to a category 1 hurricane, is expected to cross the coast in the early morning of Friday south of the capital, Brisbane. With 2.5 million inhabitants in Brisbane, this could be a complicated day for emergency aid services, since the cyclone may arrive during the flood time.

rare weather events in Queensland

"This is a rare event - to have a tropical cyclone in an area that is not one of the tropics, here in the southeast of Queensland and in the north of New South Wales (NSW)," said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday in Brisbane. The last cyclone of similar strength, which occurred near Brisbane, was Zyklone Zoe in 1974, which caused great floods in the city and the Northern Rivers Rivers region.

cyclone Alfred and its effects

The population of Brisban has more than doubled since then, but experts warn that the worst effects of Zyklone Alfred south of the storm eye, along the popular tourist destinations from the Gold Coast to the north of NSW, could be felt. "We have not experienced anything comparable in the past 50 years," said Darrell Strauss, research expert for coastal management at Griffith University. "There are areas where storm floods represent the biggest problem, and others in which high waves and coastal erosion cause major problems."

Current status of the cyclons

On Wednesday, Zyklone Alfred was about 400 kilometers off the coast and moved with destructive winds of up to 120 kilometers per hour. The streams and rivers in the north of NSW could step over the banks and trigger threatening floods, similar to in 2022, when heavy rainfalls overflowed.

preparations and evacuations

in Brisbane, the residents were busy stacking sandbags and emptying the shelves in supermarkets with food and water, while the authorities warned of possible floods. The modeling show that up to 20,000 properties in Brisbane could be affected by storm surges or lightning floods, according to the mayor's office.

security measures and events

beaches in the north of NSW and along the coast of Queensland were closed because the authorities warned of dangerous waves of over 5 meters. Sturm floods could even reach up to 10 meters. Prime Minister David Crisafulli appealed to the residents of endangered coastal areas to follow the evacuation orders. "If this strong cyclone pulls over the coast in the middle of the night, then the last one is where you want to be in your home. Now the time is," says Crisafulli.

effects on daily life

important sporting events were canceled and schools in the affected areas remain closed on Thursday and Friday. Strong winds were also a topic in regions in which the residents are used to heavy rainfall, but not necessarily on cyclone -like arches. People were asked to secure everything that could fly in the wind.