Sydney : Australia braced for a rare east coast tropical cyclone that is swirling towards Brisbane, its third-most populous city, with authorities urging residents in flood-prone suburbs to evacuate soon.
Storm warnings on Wednesday stretched for more than 500 kilometers (311 miles) across the coast in the states of Queensland and New South Wales, impacting millions of people.
Destructive wind gusts of up to 155 kph (96 mph) could develop from Thursday afternoon, and tropical cyclone Alfred is expected to land as a category-two storm early on Friday morning near Brisbane, Queensland’s capital.
Total rainfall from the event could be as much as 800 mm (31.5 inches) in some regions, more than the average total for March, and could cause life-threatening flash flooding, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
“This is a very rare event for south-east Queensland, it has been many decades since this part of the state experienced (a cyclone),” Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told reporters. He called on residents to heed evacuation orders.
