Cyclone Alfred downgraded as millions of Australians stay indoors
SYDNEY, March 8 (Reuters) - Ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, expected to hit the mainland of east Australia in the next few hours, was downgraded to a 'tropical low' on Saturday, but officials warn that the storm can still bring severe winds, rain and flooding.
Alfred crossed the islands off the coast of Queensland overnight, and is heading towards Brisbane, Australia's third-most populous city, the Bureau of Meteorology has said.
"Heavy to locally intense rainfall and damaging wind gusts are still expected over Southeast Queensland," the Bureau of Meteorology said in its latest update.
Thousands have been evacuated and local media reported that about a quarter of a million people are facing power outages as violent winds toppled power lines. No deaths have been reported so far but authorities have urged residents to stay indoors.
"Over the next few hours, the impacts are still going to be the same, if anything, the only thing we've lost is that consistency of gale strength winds," meteorologist Helen Reid told ABC Radio Brisbane.
"We will still have winds that will be damaging or even destructive.'
Brisbane Airport remains shut and the city has suspended public transport. More than 1,000 schools in southeast Queensland and 280 in northern New South Wales have been closed.
Videos posted on social media and local news networks show some flooding, fallen trees, damaged homes and waves crashing in on the beaches.
Officials have described Alfred as a "very rare event" for Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, which was last hit by a cyclone more than half a century ago in 1974. The city of about 2.7 million had near misses from cyclones in 1990 and 2019.
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