A police officer pointing out to the ocean as people watch on.

A police officer patrols the beach on the Gold Coast on Friday. Source: Getty / Asanka Ratnayake

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Australia

Thousands without power as Cyclone Alfred's 'severe impacts' felt ahead of crossing — as it happened

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to cross the coast early on Saturday morning.

A police officer pointing out to the ocean as people watch on.

A police officer patrols the beach on the Gold Coast on Friday. Source: Getty / Asanka Ratnayake

Published 7 March 2025 6:36am
Updated 7 March 2025 3:55pm
Source: SBS News

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1 month ago7 Mar 5:14pm
Thank you for joining our live coverage
Here are the key updates as we close off our live blog for today:
  • Speaking to the ABC late on Friday afternoon, Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How said Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to cross the coast early on Saturday morning
  • He urged people not to pay too much attention to the exact timing because "you will see severe impacts" well before that
  • How said rain and wind would build across the tropical cyclone warning zone, first for northern NSW and then the Gold Coast and Brisbane
  • As Alfred's crossing nears, How said there would be "very heavy rainfall and destructive winds" around the southern flank of the cyclone", and a "very dangerous storm tide coming through and causing more erosion"
  • "Significant impacts" would continue at the point of crossing and "well after that", How said
  • Some 46,000 properties are without power in Queensland, almost all of which are on the Gold Coast. In northern NSW, more than 38,000 homes and businesses are without power
  • You can find the latest warnings from the
    NSW SES here
    . For Queensland, they can be
    found here
A map showing the predicted path of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred's predicted path as at 4.08pm on Friday. Source: Supplied

Thank you for joining our live blog today; we will continue our coverage of Tropical Cyclone Alfred over the weekend.

— David Aidone
1 month ago7 Mar 4:53pm
Aidan was in the 'tinny army'. This time, he's ready to help but not until after the storm
When floods hit Lismore, northern NSW, in 2022, Aidan Ricketts was part of the 'tinny army'.

"I've always stayed with the house," he said. "Until that flood, the house floor was always above water."

As northern NSW and south-east Queensland await Tropical Cyclone Alfred's landfall, he's prepared his boat to help again.

But this time, he's decided to leave first.
"This is the first time I'm not going to stay for the brunt of it. I'm going to take the boat and the trailer up onto dry land, wait for the major cyclone to go past, and then I'll come back into the water once the winds die down a bit," Ricketts said.

"But at this stage, it's not looking anything like 2022 ... it all depends on how slowly the cyclone approaches, and if it stalls, it will definitely increase the rainfall."

Read more about what it's like on the ground in northern NSW
here
.

— Veronica Lenard
1 month ago7 Mar 4:30pm
Over 40,000 homes without power, QLD premier says
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has said 46,036 properties are now without power, almost all of which are on the Gold Coast, as Cyclone Alfred continues approaching the coastline.

"Since we last addressed you at 10am, there's been 307 requests for assistance from the SES," the premier said.

He also urged people to leave at-risk areas while it was still safe to do so.

"Have an evacuation plan … your life is worth more than anything else," he said.

Queensland Police said there were still no reported fatalities or missing persons.
The path of Cyclone Alfred as shown in an animated GIF image
Source: SBS / Bureau of Meteorology
Speaking alongside Crisafulli at late afternoon press conference, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Matthew Collopy said rainfall amounts of 200mm have already been recorded and were expected to increase overnight.

In some places, rainfall could reach as high as 800mm, Collopy said.

Queensland deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie said that, given updated conditions, some supermarkets had remained open but warned they would "progressively close" from this afternoon.

Bleijie thanked all those responsible for keeping stores open "as long as possible" and asked the public to maintain “a little bit of patience” as Cyclone Alfred affected both freight and farms.

- Zacharias Szumer
1 month ago7 Mar 3:35pm
Latest from the Bureau
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How spoke to the ABC a little earlier about the latest on Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Here's what he had to say:

On Tropical Cyclone Alfred's path
"Around 150km east of Brisbane and is still moving west at about 7km/h, a slow jog pace."

On winds
"For much of yesterday and today we saw strong and even damaging winds for places like Cape Byron down towards Yamba; even parts of Moreton Island. For the rest of tonight we will start to see those winds gradually increasing further inland, including for places around the Gold Coast hinterland and the Brisbane metro as well. We're already seeing those winds picking up around Lismore and Casino."

On rainfall
"We are now seeing some of those heavier bands pushing onto the shore. Heavy rain will continue to intensify throughout today, particularly across north-east NSW and those eastern-facing slopes all the way from Dorrigo up towards the Border Ranges. And across Queensland we'll see that rain picking up across the Gold Coast initially, and up into Brisbane overnight."

On Tropical Cyclone Alfred's crossing
"There is still a long way to go before the actual crossing but we already see dangerous conditions out there."

Alfred is predicted to cross late Saturday morning or early afternoon.

— David Aidone
1 month ago7 Mar 3:32pm
Residents urged to prioritise finding shelter
Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner has advised residents to consider their shelter options for the night ahead.

"Saturday is the danger zone in particular," he said.

"What we're seeing from the BoM is that totals of several hundred millimetres are very much likely in south-east Queensland but they can also potentially exceed the levels we saw in the 2022 flood.

"If that is not a reason to take this seriously, I don't know what is, because we know what happened in 2022."

Schrinner advised residents to remove bins from the kerb and bring loose items, such as outdoor furniture and plants, indoors.

"There's no further waste collections happening before the cyclone arrives. Bins can become projectiles," he said.

"We don't always get this many days to prepare in the lead-up to a natural disaster, and in 2022 there was literally no time to prepare.

"That opportunity has been afforded to us this time; both government, residents, and people have taken it up, and I'm grateful for that opportunity."

— Veronica Lenard
1 month ago7 Mar 3:21pm
Brisbane's lord mayor says Alfred's impact 'very different' from previous disasters
Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner has said Cyclone Alfred's impact was "likely to be very different to what we've seen with other floods".

Schrinner told an early afternoon press conference that the city's response to the 2011 floods "worked so well because there were parts of the city that were affected by river flood, but there were large parts which weren't affected at all".

"So, there were literally tens of thousands of people who were not affected in their own homes, but they could help other people.

"We're expecting a more widespread impacted across the city in this case."
READ MORE

Aboriginal communities in Bundjalung Country are preparing for more pain as Cyclone Alfred approaches

He also said people should wait until it's safe to start cleaning up as authorities were expecting a lot of trees and power lines to be brought down.

"I would suggest the first place to start is to help the people in your street that need help, to help your family and friends that need help."

Council offices had also been instructed cease parking enforcement from midday Friday, Schrinner said.

"This gives people the opportunity to park their cars wherever they can park safely," he said, adding that the relaxed rules would continue "for the foreseeable future".

— Veronica Lenard
1 month ago7 Mar 2:50pm
Rescued rower 'in awe' after emotional return to land
Earlier today, Lithuanian long-distance rower Aurimas Mockus was reunited with his wife in Sydney.

Mockus was trying to row 12,000km across the Pacific Ocean from San Diego to Brisbane when he got into trouble a week ago. He became stranded about 740km east of Mackay in wild weather sparked by Cyclone Alfred.

It sparked a naval rescue mission that plucked him from the ocean off the Queensland coast.
A man and woman hug
Lithuanian rower Aurimas Mockus and his wife Sonata Mockuviene were reunited on Friday. Source: AAP / Bianca De Marchi
After an emotional reunion at Sydney's Garden Island naval base on Friday morning, Mockus said he was "in awe" of the Australian Navy personnel who braved dangerous seas to save him.

After embracing wife Sonata Mockuviene, he thanked the ship's crew — and the Australian people — for their help.

"I would like to thank everybody to be able to meet my family, my wife," he said in remarks translated by Lithuania's ambassador to Australia, Darius Degutis.

"I was so much in awe about receiving the hospitality, the good will of ... the Australian people," Mockus added, while wearing a cap from HMAS Choules, the landing ship that rescued him.

— Australian Associated Press
1 month ago7 Mar 2:44pm
Insurers promise to support customers through Cyclone Alfred
Australia’s insurance industry peak body, the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), has said its members have scaled up operations in preparation for Tropical Cyclone Alfred making landfall tomorrow.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has previously warned Alfred could cause billions of dollars of damage when it makes landfall on the southeast Queensland coast, bringing with it extreme winds, heavy rain, flash flooding and storm surges.

Insurance companies faced significant scrutiny following the 2022 floods, with
a federal parliamentary inquiry concluding the industry
"failed too many people" with delays in communication, poor claim management and other issues uncovered.

The ICA said on Friday that the industry had made significant improvements since the 2022 floods.

ICA CEO Andrew Hall said the group’s board met this morning to discuss the cyclone and "had a very constructive discussion with Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones".

"Insurers reiterated that insurers are committed to supporting customers through this event," Hall said.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers told ABC radio on Thursday that he was "confident that the insurance companies know what they need to do, I'm confident that they're putting in place the arrangements to process lots of claims".

- Zacharias Szumer (with additional reporting from the Australian Associated Press)
1 month ago7 Mar 1:55pm
Today's key updates so far
Tropical Cyclone Alfred's path
  • Alfred remains a category two system, the Bureau of Meteorology says, and was 160km east of Brisbane around noon
  • Its "movement has been erratic" and it is travelling around 7km/h towards the south-east Queensland coast
  • It's expected to approach south-east Queensland's Bay Islands after midnight Friday and into the early hours of Saturday
  • It is forecast to reach the mainland at about 12pm AEST (1pm AEDT) on Saturday
  • By this point it is forecast to have downgraded from a category two system to a category one.
Weather predictions
  • Alfred could produce widespread daily rainfall totals of 300mm to 500mm. 800mm totals could be possible in 48 hours.
  • As it approaches, high waves are likely to continue with “extreme coastal erosion and inundation of some areas”
  • If Alfred weakens to a category one, Brisbane will unlikely face destructive winds, but could still face damaging wind gusts of up to 120km/h
On the ground
  • Major supermarkets started closing their stores in impacted areas this morning, with more closures to follow this afternoon
  • The NSW SES has fielded at least 1,850 calls in the 24 hours to 6am Friday. The Queensland SES said it had received more than 1,300 calls in the 24 hours to 12.30pm
  • Northern NSW residents in
    evacuation zones
    have been urged to leave in the next few hours if they haven’t already
  • Some 36,500 homes are without power in the NSW Northern Rivers region, and almost 43,600 are without power in south-east Queensland
  • Residents have been warned they could be without power for days if they are hit hard by Alfred
The Bureau of Meteorology is now
issuing hourly updates
.
A map showing the path of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
A map showing Tropical Cyclone Alfred's path as at 12.07pm on Friday. Source: Supplied / Bureau of Meteorology

— Veronica Lenard
1 month ago7 Mar 1:07pm
People should evacuate now if they haven't already - police
Sergeant Scott Allerton has warned people in Northern NSW to evacuate in the "next few hours" if they haven't already.

"I will strongly encourage everyone that has been living or who is in the evacuation zone to leave now. The weather will deteriorate over the next few hours, and then it may be too late to leave," he said.
"There will not be enough boats, there will not be enough rescue people, if people don’t heed the advice. So take the time now to get out of those evacuation spaces, and we won’t need the community to step up."

He also warned that main arterial roads would soon likely be flooded, with major flooding of 16m or 17m expected for Lismore.

— Alexandra Koster
1 month ago7 Mar 1:04pm
Northern Rivers main roads could be blocked by floods soon
While some roads in northern NSW are still open, these could be closed if flash flooding happens.

"We're seeing a number of roads have been cut. South is open on the M1," police sergeant Scott Allerton said.

"If you need to be on the road, don't go on the road. Leave the roadway networks open for emergency services and resupply vehicles. If you are attempting to get to a safer location, by all means [use them]."
Workers repair damaged power lines from a fallen tree.
Many roads have been closed and power lines damaged during Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Source: AAP / Jason O'Brien
He added that if the amount of water predicted comes: "we'll see blockages on the main arterial roads".

Should that happen, a fleet of helicopters and high-clearance vehicles able to drive through higher floodwaters will be used to get supplies in.

- Alexandra Koster
1 month ago7 Mar 1:00pm
6,500 homes in Northern Rivers have had power restored, says NSW premier
NSW Premier Chris Minns shared during a press conference in Lismore that power has been restored to about 6,500 homes.

"There are tens of thousands of houses in the Northern Rivers without electricity ... Essential Energy can report that this morning, that number stood at 43,000. They've managed to get it to 36,500," he said.

"It's an example of Essential Energy workers — linesmen, electricians — working very hard in hazardous conditions, to get as much of the public reconnected as possible."

Minns emphasised the priority was to make sure that crews were safe, so residents should still expect power outages.

- Alexandra Koster
1 month ago7 Mar 12:46pm
Parents with formula-fed babies should feel 'confident' water supplies will be okay
David Crisafulli has now shared advice for parents with newborns who are formula-fed:

"I know a lot of parents have done the preparatory work and got formula where they need to. We'll do everything we can do give the information to keep the supermarkets open for as long as possible, but more importantly, that we get them back on their feet as quickly as possible."

He added he was "confident" the water supplies would be fine.

"Regarding water — and I know that's a big issue, particularly for young mums — we have done a lot of work to make sure that those water treatment plants are in the best position to continue to supply water. I think people should make a pretty conservative dent in that water supply — we've taken it very, very seriously and I'm confident we'll be okay."

- Alexandra Koster
1 month ago7 Mar 12:41pm
11 search and rescue jobs so far, no deaths or missing people
Queensland's deputy police commissioner Shane Chelepy said there are no reported deaths or missing people so far, adding that there has been 11 search and rescue jobs since yesterday.

"We’re starting to see a number of requests for assistance increase now, particularly across the Gold Coast and Redlands area as a result of the intense wind and rainfall," he said.

Some of those rescued have included swimmers, kayakers and jetskiers who have all been "caught up in the rough conditions".

"Now is not the time to be in the surf. And all you’re doing is putting emergency services at risk and yourself at risk by undertaking that behaviour."

Two people have also been rescued from a Currumbin Valley home after a tree fell on their house, according to Queensland Fire Department commissioner Stephen Smith.

"Firefighters used saws to rescue those two people and they were handed over to QAS (Queensland Ambulance Service) and we’re pleased to indicate they only had relatively minor injuries," he said.

— Alexandra Koster
1 month ago7 Mar 12:41pm
Federal government to fund $50 million relief fund
Emergency Management Minister Jenny McAllister has also provided an update, including about joint funding to help with clean-up efforts.

"The Albanese government has agreed to jointly fund, for both states, a $50 million community relief fund that will provide councils with financial support to undertake essential immediate clean-up and restoration activities after this event," she said.

"Councils can use this funding for waste and debris removal from streets, properties and community assets, and undertake activities to restore public assets. We want councils to go into this event fully confident that they will have support to engage in the clean-up."

- Alexandra Koster
1 month ago7 Mar 12:31pm
60 extra ADF personnel sent to Queensland
Federal Emergency Management Minister Jenny McAllister also shared that 60 Australian Defence Force personnel would be available for the Queensland government to "undertake welfare checks".

"The Queensland government has also requested aerial support for search-and-rescue activities which are also being provided," she said.
This is in addition to 120 personnel who have been allocated to NSW, with the minister saying: "They are moving to NSW immediately to provide support to the local SES in all of these activities, including conducting door-knocking and welfare checks today on vulnerable members of the community."

- Alexandra Koster
1 month ago7 Mar 12:29pm
In pictures: Wind and rain damage near Burleigh Beach
SBS News reporter Alexandra Jones is on the ground at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.

She says there are already signs of significant erosion and debris on the beach, with branches down everywhere.
A person standing amid debris in front of large swell on a beach as a dog runs along the shore.
Residents venture out to Burleigh Beach. Credit: Alexandra Jones/SBS
Tree branches and debris on the edge of the sand with a sign in the bottom right corner saying Burleigh Beach.
Strong winds leave debris along the shoreline. Credit: Alexandra Jones/SBS
A flooded playground
A playground near the beach starts to flood. Credit: Alexandra Jones/SBS
A fallen tree branch is fenced off on the grass near a public picnic table
Fallen tree branches lay nearby. Credit: Alexandra Jones/SBS
A group of four runners run along a muddy track in a park. The ocean is in the background
The weather hasn't stopped residents exercising. Credit: Alexandra Jones/SBS
A picnic bench in a medium-sized puddle of water
Minor flooding is starting to impact more areas near the beach. Credit: Alexandra Jones/SBS
— Veronica Lenard
1 month ago7 Mar 12:23pm
Good news among the chaos with the birth of twins
Queensland premier David Crisafulli has shared some good news among the Cyclone Alfred chaos — the birth of twins.

"In events like this, there are always little moments of magic and overnight, a set of twins were born on Dulwich Island," he said.

"We had paramedics and midwives assist the mum. They continue to care for her.

"It's one of those little gems in an otherwise really stressful time for everybody."

- Alexandra Koster
1 month ago7 Mar 12:22pm
Queensland premier thanks frontline workers
Queensland premier David Crisafulli is providing an update on Cyclone Alfred, and has thanked frontline workers.

"We are most grateful for those working in those frontline roles at a time that we desperately need it," he said.

"We will continue to work with the supermarkets to stay open as long as they can and get back on their feet as quickly as they can."
A man in a suit at a press conference
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli is delivering regular updates on Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Source: AAP / Jono Searle

- Alexandra Koster
1 month ago7 Mar 11:42am
BoM: Alfred now set to arrive on the mainland about 9am on Saturday
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) says Cyclone Alfred is now expected to cross onto the mainland about six hours later than forecast.

This means it will hit the mainland about 9am on Saturday.

"Now that it has started to move onto our radar coverage ... we can get a bit more of an understanding of its movements," BoM senior forecaster Christie Johnson said.

"It looks like it could reach Moreton Island around 6 or 7 am and perhaps not pushing on the mainland or Bribie Island until towards 9 or 10am."

- Alexandra Koster
1 month ago7 Mar 11:36am
'No one has flood cover': Lismore mayor
Lismore mayor Steve Krieg has spoken to ABC News about the community coming together in times of need.

He said residents were "the most determined and tough people that you could ever come across".

"The amount of locals who get in and help other locals is just amazing," he said.

Krieg said extreme weather events "take a toll" on the community, which is
still recovering from devastation caused by the 2022 floods.

READ MORE

How disasters like Cyclone Alfred can drive up your insurance — even if you aren't hit

Many properties in the area are not insured, and could face damage from the cyclone.

"Basically companies abandoned Lismore after the '22 floods. We may have fire and storm, but no-one in town has got flood cover at the moment and that creates a whole new level of stress," he said.

"When you sit here after being evacuated all you have is time to think about things and that is when the stresses and anxiety starts, that's for sure."

— Jessica Bahr
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