A man in a bright orange jacket stands in front of a felled tree holding a chainsaw in the rain

Gold Coast acting mayor Donna Gates said nearly 3,000 homes were without power on Thursday afternoon and winds of up to 80km/h had already been recorded. Source: AAP / Jason O'Brien

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Queensland and NSW prepare for 'extremely erratic' Tropical Cyclone Alfred — as it happened

Communities in south-east Queensland and north-east NSW are bracing for a tropical cyclone to hit the area for the first time in more than 50 years, triggering destructive winds and flooding. Here are the latest developments on Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Gold Coast acting mayor Donna Gates said nearly 3,000 homes were without power on Thursday afternoon and winds of up to 80km/h had already been recorded. Source: AAP / Jason O'Brien

Published 6 March 2025 5:43am

Updated 6 March 2025 5:51pm

Source: SBS News

Thank you for following our Tropical Cyclone Alfred updates

Communities in northern NSW and south-east Queensland are bracing themselves as Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues to make its way towards the east coast.

The category 2 cyclone is set to hit the coastline late on Friday, or very early on Saturday morning.

Here's the latest:

Cyclone Alfred is currently 240km east of Brisbane and remains a category 2 system
The Gold Coast acting mayor has warned people to stay away from beaches, warning anyone caught acting recklessly could face a fine of up to $16,000
Winds up to 80km/h have already been recorded and gusts of 95km/h and up to 150km/h are predicted when the storm makes landfall
Airlines have cancelled some flights ahead of the expected landfall, with Qantas suspending flights from Thursday afternoon and Virgin suspending flights to and from Gold Coast and Ballina through to Friday
Queenslanders have begun experiencing power outages, with the first outages predominantly due to trees knocking over power lines
Residents have rushed to supermarkets to stock up on supplies and supermarkets have been forced to restrict sales of water

The SBS News team will be back on board tomorrow with further updates on the cyclone.

— Elfy Scott

9h ago4:32pm

Power outages, calls for help and a 'potential missing person'

Gold Coast acting mayor Donna Gates has been speaking to reporters late this afternoon.

She urged people to "stay away" from beaches, saying there had been some "foolish behaviour" and anyone caught acting recklessly could face a fine of up to $16,000 amid the disaster zone declaration.

Gates said 2,909 homes were without power, which Energex was working to restore "until it is unsafe for their workers to be out".

She said the "extremely erratic" Tropical Cyclone Alfred was expected to cross on Saturday morning, though there was a possibility it could occur on Friday evening. She believed Gold Coast would face the "worst impact" before it does.

"Winds of up to 80km/h have already been recorded and tomorrow, possibly building to destructive winds," Gates told reporters. "I have mentioned every day that the wind gusts can get up to 155km/h, but we are looking at about 90 to 100km/h tomorrow."

Also speaking was Queensland Police acting chief superintendent Peter Miles, who said police are looking for a "potential missing person".

"Inquiries have been made that we know that there is a gentleman out, or was going jet skiing today that hasn't been accounted for," Miles said.

"We haven’t located the jet ski yet, but there was witness information that they saw what looked like debris from a jet ski hitting the rock wall there. So we're putting two and two together and coming up with the fact that we may be looking for at least one person that is unaccounted for at this stage."

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has also spoken, saying fresh satellite modelling from the Bureau of Meteorology showed Alfred remained a category 2 system and it was currently 240km east of Brisbane.

He said there have been 700 requests for SES assistance on Thursday, the "vast majority" of which related to preparation such as sandbagging.

Meanwhile,

flight cancellations continue

, with Qantas and Jetstar announcing the cancellation of all international and domestic flights in and out of Brisbane starting Thursday. Gold Coast, and the Ballina Byron Gateway Airport in NSW are already closed.

— David Aidone

9h ago4:20pm

Major supermarkets now restricting bottled water sales

Coles and Woolworths in cyclone affected areas have been forced to restrict bottled water sales.

A customer notice at a Coles supermarket on the Gold Coast told customers there is now a temporary limit of two items per transaction for bottled water.

Coles said more water stock is on the way and their supermarkets are working hard to keep up with the demand caused by the approach of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

A sign on a shelf at a supermarket notifying customers of restrictions on bottled water sales.

A sign on a shelf at Coles notifying customers of restrictions on bottled water sales. Source: SBS

In a statement, Woolworths said it has asked customers to only buy what they need to "ensure everyone has fair access to essentials".

Restrictions have also been placed on packs and bottles of water at Woolworths.

A spokesperson from the supermarket said it aims to keep stores open as long as possible but will adjust hours according to safety advice from local authorities and team member availability.

"Our store team members have worked tirelessly over the past few days to keep stock on shelves, with stores in the cyclone warning zone receiving additional deliveries of essential products including pasta, rice, soup, nappies, baby food and formula, milk and frozen vegetables," the spokesperson said.

— Elfy Scott

10h ago3:28pm

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said he is preparing for the arrival of the cyclone

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said he has been preparing for the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Alfred and said the last few days have been "eerie".

"It's been gusty and then it's just dead still. I think a few people have commented there's not a bird in the sky, so they've worked out what's going on," he told 2GB's Ben Fordham Live program this morning,

Dutton stressed communities need to take the warnings issued by the Queensland premier seriously and said it has been reassuring that the Australian Defence Force has been involved in the preparation for the storm.

"It provides a lot of support and comfort for people, particularly elderly people who are very worried about their own circumstances," he said.

When asked what he thought about Greens leader Adam Bandt connecting the cyclone to climate change, Dutton said: "People who are playing politics with this event will be found out at the next election."

"I think people understand that, as I say, it's not a regular occurrence, but certainly with precedence in this part of the world. That's the reality of the weather systems."

— Elfy Scott

10h ago3:12pm

Disaster expert tells residents to 'prepare for disruptions'

Speaking to ABC News, Yetta Gurtner, adjunct senior lecturer and coordinator of Centre for Disaster Studies at James Cook University, said communities in south-east Queensland and north-east NSW need to "prepare for disruptions" when Tropical Cyclone Alfred makes landfall.

Gurtner said it is likely that people in cyclone affected areas will see debris flying around, lose electricity and may not be able to access television or internet.

Battery-powered AM/FM radios can provide a point of contact with the outside world in the case that telecommunications services drop out.

For those sheltering in homes, Gurtner said the safest room in the house is usually the "smallest room with the least windows".

"It may be in the hallway, it may actually be somewhere like under the stairs, it's usually on the lowest level of your house."

Gurtner also warned that flooding can cause sewerage to spill out of toilets and drains, so it's important to block them.

Supplies should last for around five to seven days, Gurtner said, as recent cyclone events in North Queensland have shown roads and supply chains can be cut off for days following storms.

The mental wellbeing of cyclone-affected communities should also be taken seriously, Gurtner said, and those experiencing anxiety should have conversations with family and friends or call community helplines.

Readers seeking support with mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at

beyondblue.org.au

Embrace Multicultural Mental Health

supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

— Elfy Scott

11h ago2:40pm

What's the difference between the cyclone categories?

Alfred is currently category 2 cyclone, but what does that mean?

The numbers relate to the severity of the cyclone, from 1 which is the weakest to 5 which is the strongest, based on maximum average wind speed.

But even a category 1 cyclone isn't weak, with average winds of up to 88 km/h and gusts of up to 125 km/h.

Category 2 cyclones, like Alfred is currently, can have average winds up to 117 km/h and strongest gusts of 164 km/h.

— Alex Britton

12h ago1:38pm

Concerns for Aboriginal communities in the Northern Rivers

Naomi Moran, general manager of the Indigenous newspaper Koori Mail, said there were concerns about Bundjalung communities in their traditional homelands, such as Cabbage Tree Island, where residents have been living in temporary accommodation pods that are not cyclone ready.

"It's a very exhausting time at the moment," she told ABC News.

The Lismore-based Indigenous newspaper was critical in becoming an emergency community hub to Northern Rivers residents regardless of background during the 2022 floods.

"It's really hard to even comprehend what this means for our communities, having to prepare, having to roll out their flood plans, having to vacate their businesses and their homes and heed all the warnings," Moran said.

"We can only imagine what that means for their emotional and mental wellbeing during this time."

She expressed concerns for Aboriginal residents in Wardell and Ballina where winds are picking up speed.

— Australian Associated Press

12h ago12:58pm

'Erratic movement' delayed Alfred's expected crossing: BoM

Bureau of Meteorology manager Matt Collopy was speaking alongside Queensland Premier David Crisafulli a little earlier.

Here's some of what he had to say about Tropical Cyclone Alfred:

On the delay in Alfred's crossing:

"Overnight [it] briefly doubled back on its path. It's current movement has resumed that westward track towards the coast. This erratic movement has resulted in a delay to the forecast crossing. It approaches the outer islands very late on Friday and then is expected to cross the coast in the early hours of Saturday."

Where will it cross the coast?

"The most likely track still between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast near Brisbane as a category 2 system. A category 2 system means winds near the centre of 95km/h and gusts possibly up to 150km/h, particularly for those exposed locations around the southern flank of the system."

The latest predicted path of Cyclone Alfred Credit: Bureau of Meteorology

On current impacts:

"The wind impacts we're already seeing those start to develop on the exposed locations along our coast with gusts reaching 80-90km/h already. We are expecting those to continue to develop into this evening, and then increasing to those destructive wind gusts up to 150 km/h. Large swells and powerful waves have been observed along the Queensland coast for several days now, and the wave recorded off the Gold Coast recorded a 12.3 metre maximum wave height late yesterday. That is a record for that site.

"Coastal hazard warnings for damaging surf and abnormally high tides continue to the south of Sandy Cape."

On predicted rainfall:

"Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to produce heavy to locally intense rainfall from south-east Queensland from late today to at least Saturday, with daily rainfall totals of 200 to 400mm. This could mean a total of over 800mm for this event. In terms of flooding, that rainfall is expected to produce both flash and riverine flooding, and both of these types of flooding can be life-threatening."

— David Aidone

13h ago12:45pm

Queenslanders warned to expect power outages

Some parts of Queensland have begun experiencing power outages as a result of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Premier David Crisafulli said the first outages were predominantly due to trees knocking over power lines.

"We'll see more of that and I want Queenslanders to know we will get them reconnected as quickly as possible," he said.

"Right now, crews from Energex are actually reconnecting as quickly as they can while it is still safe to do so, but we have prepositioned a really large number of staff who are ready to assist and we even have those contractors who will be there to clear the trees so those electricity staff can go and reconnect power. "

Crisafulli warned more power outages are likely as the cyclone approaches.

"We would expect to see numbers of power outages continue to rise as the system gets closer, and as the winds and the rain and, indeed, the storm surge gets closer as well."

— Jessica Bahr

13h ago12:32pm

In pictures: Residents rush to stock up, supermarket shelves cleared

Amid the delayed arrival of Cyclone Alfred, residents rushed to clear a supermarket for supplies.

Our reporter Alexandra Jones captured these scenes at a Coles in Palm Beach, Gold Coast.

Some fresh produce shelves are already bare. Credit: Alexandra Jones/SBS

Little remains on the fruit and vegetable shelves in this Coles in Gold Coast. Credit: Alexandra Jones/SBS

Empty shelves in the meat section of a supermarket.

Empty shelves in the meat section at Coles in Palm Beach, Gold Coast. Credit: Alexandra Jones/SBS

Residents are left to choose from minimal remaining options as cyclone nears. Credit: Alexandra Jones/SBS

Empty supermarket shelves at a supermarket.

Only two boxes of toilet paper left as shoppers rush to stock up. Credit: Alexandra Jones/SBS

— Veronica Lenard

13h ago12:32pm

What is the latest update from the Bureau of Meteorology?

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) published an update on Tropical Cyclone Alfred at 11am AEDT, detailing the following:

Alfred is about 245km east of Brisbane and 225km east-north-east of the Gold Coast.
The system remains a category 2 with 95km/h winds near the centre, and gusts of up to 130km/h.
Alfred's centre is predicted to cross the coast very early on Saturday morning between Noosa and Coolangatta.

What are the hazards?

Damaging wind gusts up to 120km/h developing between south-east Queensland's Cape Moreton and Cape Byron on the NSW north coast. They are forecast to persist during Friday before easing on Saturday.
Destructive wind gusts of up to 155km/h could develop around coastal and island locations near Alfred's centre.
Abnormally high tides may cause continued minor flooding of coastal low-lying areas between Queensland's Double Island Point and Grafton in NSW's Northern Rivers region.
South-east Queensland and north-eastern NSW may face heavy rainfall from Thursday night. That combined with locally intense rainfall could create "dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding" near and south of Alfred's centre as it approaches and crosses the coast.

What does BoM recommend at this time?

"People between Cape Byron in Queensland and Grafton in New South Wales, as well as Brisbane and Double Island Point in Queensland should take precautions and listen to the next advice," BoM's latest update reads.

"People between Cape Moreton and Cape Byron, including the Morton Bay Islands should immediately commence or continue preparations, especially securing boats and property."

You can

Small actions will make a 'world of difference', David Crisafulli says

Queensland Premier David Crisfaulli is delivering an update on Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

He urged residents to be aware of storm tide flooding, flash flooding, and river flooding, and said anybody in areas at risk of storm tide flooding should have a plan in case they need to evacuate.

"If you are not in one of these zones, and that is the vast majority of Queenslanders, the safest place for you is in your home," he said.

"I want Queenslanders to understand that every little bit of preparation you do now will make a world of difference as the system approaches and crosses the coast."

He said the "little actions" done today would make a "world of difference".

"Do another check around your yard, have a check if there are loose items which would become a projectile," he said.

"Get your valuable items together inside. If you do have to leave, it's imperative you get your passport and driver's licences and any of those key identification means because that helps you get back on your feet after an event. Do you have bottled water and food? They are the little things that make a world of difference."

— Jessica Bahr

14h ago11:50am

'The band is back together' as Lismore faces danger for the second time this decade

At the same press conference where Chris Minns was speaking, Lismore mayor Steve Krieg likened local authorities and emergency services coming together to the "reformation of the Beatles".

"The band is back together. Sadly, for our community, to have to deal with this again. And it's heartbreaking, to be honest," he said.

NSW premier Chris Minns is delivering updates on Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Source: AAP / Biance de Marchi

"One thing I can say I'm extremely proud of is to see early preparation and people who are so much better off right now than what we were in 2022.

"That is heartening but I want to stress to everyone this is the very start of what we are about to face, and so heed the warning."

— Alex Britton

14h ago11:49am

What are banks and insurers doing?

Commonwealth Bank

Westpac

and

ANZ

are among banks that have activated their emergency assistance programs.

In a statement published today, the Australian Banking Association said lenders may be able to assist with:

Customised arrangements or deferrals of upcoming credit card payments or loan repayments
Temporary overdrafts or emergency credit limit increases
Restructuring of existing loans
Waiving or refunding fees and charges

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has urged insurers to "do the right thing" amid what would be a "really stressful time" for those affected by Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

"We want to make sure that the way that people deal with insurance companies doesn’t add unnecessarily to that stress," Chalmers told the ABC on Wednesday.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Insurance Council of Australia CEO Andrew Hall said insurers had "placed disaster response specialists on standby to move into affected communities and assist customers with claims as needed".

One of Queensland's biggest insurers, Suncorp, said there may be some delays given an anticipated high number of claims but that it would "work hard to provide customers with support as soon as possible".

Suncorp CEO Steve Johnston said in a statement: "Once a claim has been lodged, our team can coordinate emergency repairs as soon as it’s safe, including removing loose debris, isolating damage to solar panels or electrical circuits, and installing roof tarps. We can also arrange temporary accommodation for homes that are unlivable."

Some insurers have placed an embargo on purchasing policies for homes in areas expected to be affected by Alfred, Queensland's Courier Mail newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Suncorp was among them, recommending those seeking a policy contact the Insurance Council of Australia for assistance in finding another insurance provider.

A snapshot of a message from an insurer apologising for not being able to offer coverage.

A message from an insurer apologising for not being able to offer coverage. Source: Supplied

The Insurance Council of Australia website states insurers will "often place embargoes on insurance policies to prevent people buying insurance when the risks are elevated or a disaster is approaching and then cancelling cover after the risk passes".

But in a statement to the Courier Mail, a spokesperson said there are "usually" insurers who don't have embargoes in place and "property owners may be able to find cover".

— David Aidone

14h ago11:48am

Queensland premier delivers Cyclone Alfred update

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli is delivering an update on Cyclone Alfred.

You can watch live here:

— Jessica Bahr

14h ago11:44am

'Unwanted house guest' Alfred will linger for longer, NSW premier says

NSW Premier Chris Minns is in Lismore and speaking at a press conference.

He said Alfred will arrive later than anticipated, but hang around for longer, likening the Tropical Cyclone to an "unwanted house guest".

"Unfortunately, that means the window for destruction in our community, heavy rains, winds, powerful surface, is longer than we would have otherwise liked," he said.

— Alex Britton

15h ago10:33am

PM rules out calling an election this weekend amid Cyclone Alfred chaos

When asked about whether he would call the election this weekend, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it wasn't a time for "party politics".

"I'm focused on the needs of Australians, as some people here are focused on something else," he said.

"This isn't a time for party politics. I'm just focused on doing my job in governing."

— Alexandra Koster

15h ago10:31am

AFL and A-League postpone matches, NRL moves clash to Sydney as Alfred nears

Several games across the major sporting codes have been postponed or moved in anticipation of Alfred's expected landfall.

The AFL has postponed two opening round matches scheduled for Queensland stadiums on Thursday and Saturday.

The games between the Brisbane Lions and Geelong Cats, and the Gold Coast Suns and Essendon will be played later in the season.

Rhys Stanley of Geelong (left) and Oscar McInerney of the Lions during a game.

The Geelong Cats and Brisbane Lions were scheduled to play in Brisbane this week. Source: AAP / Joel Carrett

The NRL moved their Friday game between the Dolphins and the South Sydney Rabbitohs from Brisbane's Lang Park to Parramatta Stadium in Sydney.

The Australian Professional Leagues postponed the A-League Women Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City match originally scheduled for Sunday in Brisbane's Perry Park.

— Veronica Lenard

15h ago10:26am

ADF personnel and search and rescue choppers ready to go, says PM

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has provided details about the resources and support being deployed by the federal government, including sandbags, Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, and search-and-rescue helicopters.

"We've delivered 310,000 sandbags into Brisbane for distribution across councils and there’s more on their way," he said.

"Sixty ADF personnel and 30 high-clearance vehicles are pre-positioned to go to Queensland and support police and SES volunteers as we move to the recovery phase. They’ll door-knock to identify and support at-risk people.

"We have approved, in addition to that, two ADF search-and-rescue choppers to support Queensland post-crossing. Yesterday, we pre-positioned heavy-lift helicopters from our national aerial firefighting fleet. It's being deployed to Coffs Harbour, and a UH60 Black Hawk is being pre-positioned in Bundaberg.

"We have activated the Australian government disaster response plan, a crisis coordination team that will operate out of here, I intend to operate out of here for the coming days."

— Alexandra Koster

15h ago10:24am

Australians urged to take care of their mental health in the face of natural disasters

If you're affected by Cyclone Alfred, make sure you're taking care of your mental health.

Following natural disasters, you may experience high levels of depression, anxiety, stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dr Timothy Heffernan, an anthropologist from the University of New South Wales, said even after the initial post-traumatic stress symptoms subside, people in disaster-ravaged communities can still experience "maladjustment" and fail to settle back into their everyday lives.

"People don't adjust back to life that well. They're kind of a little bit on edge, they're kind of distrustful, and there are certain other symptoms that come along with that," Heffernan said.

"Often we think that a disaster is over and within a couple of years people are fine again — but people's ability to adjust back to a normal life can actually be really impaired."

The hidden mental health toll of worsening climate disasters on Australians

Heffernan said intense loneliness, broken social circles and relationship breakdowns can all follow a disaster experience, as well as something called "solastalgia" — the feeling of losing peace with the world around you.

He said connecting with your community and neighbours is fundamental to recovery, where you can lean on others to talk, dissect traumatic events, and recover together.

NSW government officials have also urged those affected to use mental health helplines, which are available 24/7.

"Mental health support is available and there will be disaster recovery clinicians and mental health staff on-site in evacuation centres," North Coast Minister Rose Jackson said during a press conference in Sydney.

"If you feel distressed or anxious, that is a very normal response to this very distressing situation. Please reach out and chat with someone and talk through how you are feeling. The NSW government really wants the community on the north coast to know ... it's okay to feel stressed and upset and anxious in these circumstances.

"The best thing you can do is make sure that you know you have done everything to prepare and if you need someone to talk to, pick up a phone and have a chat about how you are feeling."

Readers seeking support with mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at

beyondblue.org.au.