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2pm AEST update:
Cyclone Alfred is moving more rapidly today after slowing down yesterday. It is now 230km off the coast.
We'll start to experience the severe effects from Thursday afternoon or evening, with damaging winds and increased rainfall affecting a large part of the coast between about Ballina and Maroochydore.
Alfred is likely to move near the coast on Friday (most likely in the afternoon or evening), between Gold Coast and Brisbane. The actual landfall may be just north of Brisbane early on Saturday, before very slowly moving inland.
Alfred may not travel in a straight line, rather twisting and turning just off the coast, ensuring that more parts of the southeast Queensland and northeast NSW coastline are affected. And when it moves inland, the severe weather will keep coming as it is so slow moving.
At its most extreme point, those near and just south of the centre are likely to experience destructive winds, life threatening flash flooding and a dangerous storm tide if the timing coincides with high tide.
If Alfred remains as a category two, these are the effects:
- Damaging Wind Gusts up to 120km/h for a large part of the coast
- Destructive Wind Gusts up to 155km/h near and to the south of the core, when it is near the coast as a category two, or crossing the coast as a category two, on Friday and Saturday
- A Dangerous Storm Tide during high tide, Abnormally High Tides will continue to cause Minor Flooding of coastal low lying areas
- Damaging Surf and Significant Beach Erosion continue
- Heavy Rainfall
- Intense Rainfall which may lead to Dangerous and Life-Threatening Flash Flooding is possible near and south of the core, when it is near the coast as a category two, or crossing the coast as a category two, on Friday and Saturday
Keep up to date with the latest guidance for your spot. Look for the rainfall range to narrow to know we have better consensus across the modelling, and therefore higher confidence in the outcome.
