Cyclone Alfred Highlights: Australia set to face ‘worst’ tropical cyclone; evacuation underway amid heavy rainfall

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: Cyclone Alfred would be the first to make landfall in southeast Queensland since 1974. Delays have given authorities and residents more time to prepare, though the slow-moving nature of the system means that heavy rains have saturated large sections of the coastline.

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: Cyclone watch and act issued for Gold Coast amid worsening condition, reported ABC news. Winds are expected to intensify  and rainfall likely to grow intense

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: Alfred has been moving slowly towards the coast raising concerns that it could result in a longer and prolonged period of heavy rainfall. 

 The system is still expected to land as a Category 2 storm north of Brisbane, Australia's third-most populous city, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: Cyclone Alfred to make landfall, evacuation underway. “The cyclone has slowed and is starting to have some impact,” National Emergency Management Agency Deputy Coordinator Joe Buffone said at a press conference in Canberra

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: Violent winds toppled power lines on Friday as cyclone Alfredo is heading towards Australia. 

Tropical Cyclone Alfred was 165 kilometres (100 miles) east of Brisbane city on Friday morning, crawling towards the densely populated coastline at "walking speed", government forecasts said.

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: Lismore MP Janelle Saffin has urged residents to leave their homes ahead of expected flooding, acknowledging the difficulty of evacuating but stressing the importance of safety.

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: The last cyclone of a similar strength to cross so far south was Cyclone Zoe back in 1974, which caused major flooding in the city and NSW’s Northern Rivers region.

Brisbane’s population has more than doubled since then, but experts say the worst of Cyclone Alfred could be felt south of the storm’s eye, along popular tourist beaches from the Gold Coast to northern NSW.

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: Prime minister Anthony Albanese said 660 schools in southern Queensland and 280 schools in northern New South Wales were closed on Thursday as weather conditions worsen.

"My message to people, whether they be in southeast Queensland or northern New South Wales, is we are there to support you. We have your back," Mr Albanese told reporters in the national capital Canberra.

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: American rapper and actor Ice Cube is stranded on the Gold Coast as Tropical Cyclone Alfred intensifies. Scheduled to perform in Sydney, he joked about the severe weather, saying the beach might soon be in his hotel lobby.

Actress Isla Fisher also shared a selfie with her followers, saying she was “hunkered down waiting for the cyclone.”

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: Thousands of residents in New South Wales’ Northern Rivers region have been ordered to evacuate as rising floodwaters threaten homes and infrastructure.

The State Emergency Service (SES) has directed around 7,000 people in Lismore, Fingal Head, Billinudgel, Uki, Bungawalbin, Tumbulgum, and parts of Coraki and Kyogle to leave before 9pm, giving them just three hours’ notice, rewports The Independent.

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: Alfred is expected to become the first cyclone to cross the coast near Brisbane since Cyclone Zoe hit Gold Coast in 1974 and brought widespread flooding.

Cyclones are common in Queensland’s tropical north but are rare in the state’s temperate and densely populated southeast corner that borders New South Wales state.

More than 4 million people lie in the cyclone’s path.

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: The State Emergency Service has ordered evacuations in Lismore and other parts of northern New South Wales by 9pm.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese urged residents to exercise caution, saying that while the cyclone "has slowed up somewhat... that is not all good news".

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: Strong winds have already cut power to thousands of homes, and Brisbane Airport has been closed, with hundreds of flights now suspended. The State Emergency Service has ordered evacuations in Lismore and other parts of northern New South Wales by 9pm.

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: Australia is bracing for severe flooding as Cyclone Alfred nears, with the rare storm on the country's eastern coast expected to bring torrential rain, destructive winds, and storm surges.

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: The tropical cyclone is now forecast to make landfall early on Saturday, after its progress towards the coast dramatically slowed. Alfred was 240km east of Brisbane and moving west at just 7kmph on Thursday, with sustained winds near the centre gusting to 130kmph.

Cyclone Alfred LIVE Updates: Early wind and rain from a rare tropical cyclone began lashing part of eastern Australia on Thursday as schools were closed, public transport was stopped. Brisbane airports has cancelled all flights .