Latest news with #MatthewCollopy
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cyclone Alfred live updates: Majority of Woolworths, Coles stores shut, police in beach stand-off despite $16k fine threat
Yahoo's live coverage of Tropical Cyclone Alfred for Friday, March 7 has now concluded. The category two cyclone is expected to make landfall tomorrow morning as millions have been told now is the time to bunker down. Woolworths and Coles say they are doing what they can to keep stores open in a bid to help last-minute preparations, with only a limited number of stores now left open. The Bureau of Meteorology is warning residents they will face extreme conditions for six or more hours once the cyclone makes landfall. Many are feeling the impacts of the cyclone well before it reaches the coastline, with tens of thousands of homes losing power and wind gusts of over 100km/h already recorded. Authorities are stressing people should be nowhere near beaches, fearing emergency services will be dealing with fatalities if warnings aren't heeded. Acting Gold Coast mayor Donna Gates says she's dismayed by people continuing to go into the water, even with a warning of a potential $16,000 fine. See all of the day's updates below. Well this is a somewhat positive update for millions anxiously waiting in Brisbane. The Bureau of Meteorology's Matthew Collopy told reporters just now the cyclone should weaken by the time it reaches Queensland's capital. "As the cyclone moves across Moreton Bay islands, it is expected to weaken from a Category two to a Category one system," he said. "That will mean that destructive winds are unlikely for Brisbane itself, but damaging wind gusts to 120km/h are expected and they will develop quickly as the system approaches." He expects the cyclone to pass north of the city's CBD about midday on Saturday. Collopy said waves bigger than 10 metres are expected to continue while he said flooding remains a "major concern", with the southern flank of the cyclone expected to bring 800mm across the next two days. This is where we'll be leaving our live coverage for the day, however the Yahoo homepage will have the latest news from the cyclone here. And for vital information from the Bureau of Meteorology, you can find that here. Our live coverage will return early tomorrow morning before Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall. With Tropical Cyclone Alfred now just hours away from landfall, authorities are warning residents it's now time to get serious. Residents are being urged to stay inside 'immediately' as the wild weather ramps up. The cyclone was 125km east-southeast of Brisbane and 90km east-northeast of the Gold Coast on Friday afternoon, moving west southwest at 8km/h. 'Everyone should be off the roads and at home almost from immediately after this press conference,' Acting Gold Coast Mayor Donna Gates said at 2pm (AEST). 'It is serious and strong winds can't be underestimated." OK, passing 2pm (AEST), all Brisbane Coles stores are now closed. Woolworths had earlier said the select number of stores open in Brisbane would close early. We'll stick with Acting Gold Coast mayor Donna Gates as she's just revealed police are working to remove four children from the ocean at Southport. "They're ignoring warnings to get out... it's very, very foolish and very, very dangerous," she said. Gates said two teens had earlier been rescued from the water. She clarified a previous warning people could get fined $16,000 for entering the water, saying they were not on-the-spot fines, however the maximum someone could be fined if taken through the courts. She said trying to scare people with that information appeared to have "fallen on deaf ears". Acting Gold Coast mayor Donna Gates has urged people not to call Triple-0 to report fallen powerlines with emergency services inundated amid the cyclone. "Don't clog other resources," she urged, telling people to call 131962 instead, stressing it was still an important call residents still need to make. Well we mentioned before a few of the Gold Coast's iconic lifeguard towers had succumbed to the coastal erosion there, so let's take a closer look at that now. Remarkably the ones that have fallen around Southport remain in tact after falling down the sand cliff onto the beach below. NSW Premier Chris Minns has told anyone who ignores evacuation orders in northern NSW will be "by yourself". While he said the majority of people are following the advice, there are concerns a small number of people will stay. "If you're one of the few people that are remaining in your house and you're in an evacuation area … you will literally be by yourself,' he said. Mr Minns warned that despite the heavy emergency service presence, it did not mean those remaining in the evacuation zone could 'ride out the storm'. 'There aren't the same number of boats as houses, and in the event of a major natural disaster we can't be everywhere at the same time," he said. The Bureau of Meteorology has released a new update, saying Cyclone Alfred is expected to remain a category 2 system as it approaches the coast. It is now just 150 kilometres east southeast of Brisbane. It's on track to cross the Moreton Bay islands on Saturday morning as a category 2 cyclone, before potentially dropping to a category 1 around midday. By Sunday, BoM predicts it will become a tropical low. Damaging wind gusts of up to 140km/h are still forecast for today, with locally 'intense' rainfall and the risk of flash flooding. 'Destructive wind gusts of up to 155 kilometres per hour may develop about the Moreton Bay Islands and exposed coastal location on the northern Gold Coast from tonight,' BoM said in the update. 'Although Alfred is expected to weaken and move inland during Saturday, damaging wind gusts may continue, particularly over elevated terrain during Saturday, before easing throughout during Sunday.' People between Cape Moreton and Yamba, including the Moreton Bay Islands should remain inside until conditions have eased and listen to the next advice. People between Yamba 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. And how about this unfortunate moment for this Brisbane driver? With fears e-scooters and e-bikes could prove to be a deadly projectile, they've all been gathered up and stored together in the CBD. But one driver was left trapped by them all. Unsurprisingly the motorist's plight went viral this morning. Read more about it from the Yahoo team here. Two Currumbin Valley residents are lucky to be alive after a massive gum tree fell on their home on Friday morning. Damaging winds from Cyclone Alfred sent the tree crashing into the roof of the house, ripping open the roof and flattening walls. The occupants thankfully sustained only minor injuries and were taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital in stable conditions. On Facebook, a woman claimed it was her brother's home, and emergency crews had to cut up the tree in order to free him from the house. Your home is your castle, as they say and it appears those who live in this Currumbin apartment block certainly see it that way. They've managed to build one of the most sophisticated sandbag walls we've seen. There's been plenty of vision from the Gold Coast's Currumbin and the waterfront there showing the water swamping the local surf life club's car park with fears the water will shortly cross the coastal road there. There's plenty at threat thanks to the coastal erosion on the Gold Coast with reports some of the city's iconic lifeguard towers have fallen. And crews in Southport are working to save the iconic bronze sculpture 'Melody on the foreshore' in front of the surf live saving club. The sculpture's neighbouring lifeguard tower is nowhere to be seen. Surf cam shows a digger looking to pull the sculpture to safety, which can be seen below. And take a look at what the site normally looks like. The NSW SES has issued 25 evacuation orders in anticipation of severe flooding from Cyclone Alfred. The most recent additions have been New Brighton and South Golden Beach on the Tweed Coast, and areas of Macksville and Bowraville on the Mid North Coast as river levels continue to rise. The NSW government admitted its evacuation orders were made too late during the 2022 Lismore floods so it is making early calls on areas it expects will need to be evacuated. There are currently 19 evacuation centres open in NSW. In Queensland four areas along the Moreton Bay coast, including Wynnum and Brighton, have beed ordered to prepare to evacuate. Redland City Island communities were last night at 9pm warned to 'Take Shelter Now'. The cyclone is forecast to reach the Queensland mainland at midday on Saturday. In what Premier David Crisafulli was a "little moment of magic" amid the chaos, a set of twins have been born on North Stradbroke Island overnight. The island has been badly impacted by Tropical Cyclone Alfred however midwives and paramedics were able to deliver the twins in the town of Dunwich on the western side of the island. We've seen plenty of viral videos from Currumbin's Vikings Surf Life club over the past few days as the storm surge engulfed its car park right on the beach there. Well vision shared to Instagram by local photographer Luke Workmann now shows the damage caused. While plenty of sand has been washed away either side, the car park's tarmac has been completely ripped up. Tens of thousands of people are being warned they could be without power for over a week after storm debris took out a substation on the Gold Coast. Roughly 38,000 people in southeast Queensland have lost power, with the majority of those on the Gold Coast. 'The strong winds have carried debris, tree branches, whole trees, everything onto the network," Energex spokesman Danny Donald told the Courier Mail. Donald said if the cyclone hits part hard, restoration work will be delayed. If there was a video to show you why residents in the line of Cyclone Alfred shouldn't be on the beach, well this is probably it. A man with a metal detector was scanning the Gold Coast sand yesterday when he was quickly engulfed by rising swell, showing just how quickly the storm surge can come in. Authorities are becoming increasingly frustrated with people ignoring instruction to stay off beaches, while the ABC is reporting anyone entering the water could end up with a $16,000 fine. Well just when you thought that it couldn't be pushed back any further, it has. The landfall prediction for Cyclone Alfred has once again been revised, with the category two cyclone moving slower than expected. The Bureau of Meteorology says it could be as late as 10am on Saturday now for Cyclone Alfred to reach the mainland. It is expected to cross between Noosa and Coolangatta and bring wind gusts north of 150km/h. We bring you more damage now caused by strong wind gusts overnight, with parts of an apartment block in Surfers Paradise blown over. Wind gusts reached close to 90km/h last night at Gold Coast Seaway. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Well this is a somewhat positive update for millions anxiously waiting in Brisbane. The Bureau of Meteorology's Matthew Collopy told reporters just now the cyclone should weaken by the time it reaches Queensland's capital. "As the cyclone moves across Moreton Bay islands, it is expected to weaken from a Category two to a Category one system," he said. "That will mean that destructive winds are unlikely for Brisbane itself, but damaging wind gusts to 120km/h are expected and they will develop quickly as the system approaches." He expects the cyclone to pass north of the city's CBD about midday on Saturday. Collopy said waves bigger than 10 metres are expected to continue while he said flooding remains a "major concern", with the southern flank of the cyclone expected to bring 800mm across the next two days. This is where we'll be leaving our live coverage for the day, however the Yahoo homepage will have the latest news from the cyclone here. And for vital information from the Bureau of Meteorology, you can find that here. Our live coverage will return early tomorrow morning before Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall. With Tropical Cyclone Alfred now just hours away from landfall, authorities are warning residents it's now time to get serious. Residents are being urged to stay inside 'immediately' as the wild weather ramps up. The cyclone was 125km east-southeast of Brisbane and 90km east-northeast of the Gold Coast on Friday afternoon, moving west southwest at 8km/h. 'Everyone should be off the roads and at home almost from immediately after this press conference,' Acting Gold Coast Mayor Donna Gates said at 2pm (AEST). 'It is serious and strong winds can't be underestimated." OK, passing 2pm (AEST), all Brisbane Coles stores are now closed. Woolworths had earlier said the select number of stores open in Brisbane would close early. We'll stick with Acting Gold Coast mayor Donna Gates as she's just revealed police are working to remove four children from the ocean at Southport. "They're ignoring warnings to get out... it's very, very foolish and very, very dangerous," she said. Gates said two teens had earlier been rescued from the water. She clarified a previous warning people could get fined $16,000 for entering the water, saying they were not on-the-spot fines, however the maximum someone could be fined if taken through the courts. She said trying to scare people with that information appeared to have "fallen on deaf ears". Acting Gold Coast mayor Donna Gates has urged people not to call Triple-0 to report fallen powerlines with emergency services inundated amid the cyclone. "Don't clog other resources," she urged, telling people to call 131962 instead, stressing it was still an important call residents still need to make. Well we mentioned before a few of the Gold Coast's iconic lifeguard towers had succumbed to the coastal erosion there, so let's take a closer look at that now. Remarkably the ones that have fallen around Southport remain in tact after falling down the sand cliff onto the beach below. NSW Premier Chris Minns has told anyone who ignores evacuation orders in northern NSW will be "by yourself". While he said the majority of people are following the advice, there are concerns a small number of people will stay. "If you're one of the few people that are remaining in your house and you're in an evacuation area … you will literally be by yourself,' he said. Mr Minns warned that despite the heavy emergency service presence, it did not mean those remaining in the evacuation zone could 'ride out the storm'. 'There aren't the same number of boats as houses, and in the event of a major natural disaster we can't be everywhere at the same time," he said. The Bureau of Meteorology has released a new update, saying Cyclone Alfred is expected to remain a category 2 system as it approaches the coast. It is now just 150 kilometres east southeast of Brisbane. It's on track to cross the Moreton Bay islands on Saturday morning as a category 2 cyclone, before potentially dropping to a category 1 around midday. By Sunday, BoM predicts it will become a tropical low. Damaging wind gusts of up to 140km/h are still forecast for today, with locally 'intense' rainfall and the risk of flash flooding. 'Destructive wind gusts of up to 155 kilometres per hour may develop about the Moreton Bay Islands and exposed coastal location on the northern Gold Coast from tonight,' BoM said in the update. 'Although Alfred is expected to weaken and move inland during Saturday, damaging wind gusts may continue, particularly over elevated terrain during Saturday, before easing throughout during Sunday.' People between Cape Moreton and Yamba, including the Moreton Bay Islands should remain inside until conditions have eased and listen to the next advice. People between Yamba 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. And how about this unfortunate moment for this Brisbane driver? With fears e-scooters and e-bikes could prove to be a deadly projectile, they've all been gathered up and stored together in the CBD. But one driver was left trapped by them all. Unsurprisingly the motorist's plight went viral this morning. Read more about it from the Yahoo team here. Two Currumbin Valley residents are lucky to be alive after a massive gum tree fell on their home on Friday morning. Damaging winds from Cyclone Alfred sent the tree crashing into the roof of the house, ripping open the roof and flattening walls. The occupants thankfully sustained only minor injuries and were taken to the Gold Coast University Hospital in stable conditions. On Facebook, a woman claimed it was her brother's home, and emergency crews had to cut up the tree in order to free him from the house. Your home is your castle, as they say and it appears those who live in this Currumbin apartment block certainly see it that way. They've managed to build one of the most sophisticated sandbag walls we've seen. There's been plenty of vision from the Gold Coast's Currumbin and the waterfront there showing the water swamping the local surf life club's car park with fears the water will shortly cross the coastal road there. There's plenty at threat thanks to the coastal erosion on the Gold Coast with reports some of the city's iconic lifeguard towers have fallen. And crews in Southport are working to save the iconic bronze sculpture 'Melody on the foreshore' in front of the surf live saving club. The sculpture's neighbouring lifeguard tower is nowhere to be seen. Surf cam shows a digger looking to pull the sculpture to safety, which can be seen below. And take a look at what the site normally looks like. The NSW SES has issued 25 evacuation orders in anticipation of severe flooding from Cyclone Alfred. The most recent additions have been New Brighton and South Golden Beach on the Tweed Coast, and areas of Macksville and Bowraville on the Mid North Coast as river levels continue to rise. The NSW government admitted its evacuation orders were made too late during the 2022 Lismore floods so it is making early calls on areas it expects will need to be evacuated. There are currently 19 evacuation centres open in NSW. In Queensland four areas along the Moreton Bay coast, including Wynnum and Brighton, have beed ordered to prepare to evacuate. Redland City Island communities were last night at 9pm warned to 'Take Shelter Now'. The cyclone is forecast to reach the Queensland mainland at midday on Saturday. In what Premier David Crisafulli was a "little moment of magic" amid the chaos, a set of twins have been born on North Stradbroke Island overnight. The island has been badly impacted by Tropical Cyclone Alfred however midwives and paramedics were able to deliver the twins in the town of Dunwich on the western side of the island. We've seen plenty of viral videos from Currumbin's Vikings Surf Life club over the past few days as the storm surge engulfed its car park right on the beach there. Well vision shared to Instagram by local photographer Luke Workmann now shows the damage caused. While plenty of sand has been washed away either side, the car park's tarmac has been completely ripped up. Tens of thousands of people are being warned they could be without power for over a week after storm debris took out a substation on the Gold Coast. Roughly 38,000 people in southeast Queensland have lost power, with the majority of those on the Gold Coast. 'The strong winds have carried debris, tree branches, whole trees, everything onto the network," Energex spokesman Danny Donald told the Courier Mail. Donald said if the cyclone hits part hard, restoration work will be delayed. If there was a video to show you why residents in the line of Cyclone Alfred shouldn't be on the beach, well this is probably it. A man with a metal detector was scanning the Gold Coast sand yesterday when he was quickly engulfed by rising swell, showing just how quickly the storm surge can come in. Authorities are becoming increasingly frustrated with people ignoring instruction to stay off beaches, while the ABC is reporting anyone entering the water could end up with a $16,000 fine. Well just when you thought that it couldn't be pushed back any further, it has. The landfall prediction for Cyclone Alfred has once again been revised, with the category two cyclone moving slower than expected. The Bureau of Meteorology says it could be as late as 10am on Saturday now for Cyclone Alfred to reach the mainland. It is expected to cross between Noosa and Coolangatta and bring wind gusts north of 150km/h. We bring you more damage now caused by strong wind gusts overnight, with parts of an apartment block in Surfers Paradise blown over. Wind gusts reached close to 90km/h last night at Gold Coast Seaway.
The Guardian
07-03-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Tropical Cyclone Alfred: 'Exact track still uncertain' but BoM warns of destructive weather
Tropical Cyclone Alfred has moved erratically, but is expected to approach the Bay Islands before moving across Moreton Bay on Saturday morning, and then to the north of the Brisbane CBD. However the Bureau of Meteorology's Matthew Collopy says the 'exact track is still uncertain' and warnings will now be updated every hour
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cyclone Alfred live updates: Woolworths, Coles holding out on store closures, map reveals widespread power outages
Hello and welcome to Yahoo's live coverage of Tropical Cyclone Alfred. The category two cyclone is expected to make landfall in less than 24 hours as millions looks to bunker down. Woolworths and Coles say they are doing what they can to keep stores open in a bid to help last-minute preparations. The Bureau of Meteorology is warning residents they will face extreme conditions for six or more hours once the cyclone makes landfall. Many are feeling the impacts of the cyclone well before it reaches the coastline, with tens of thousands of homes losing power and wind gusts of over 100km/h already recorded. Authorities are stressing people should be nowhere near beaches, fearing emergency services will be dealing with fatalities if warnings aren't heeded. Police are reportedly looking to fine anyone in the water $1,600. Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day. Well this is a somewhat positive update for millions anxiously waiting in Brisbane. The Bureau of Meteorology's Matthew Collopy told reporters just now the cyclone should weaken by the time it reaches Queensland's capital. "As the cyclone moves across Moreton Bay islands, it is expected to weaken from a Category two to a Category one system," he said. "That will mean that destructive winds are unlikely for Brisbane itself, but damaging wind gusts to 120km/h are expected and they will develop quickly as the system approaches." He expects the cyclone to pass north of the city's CBD about midday on Saturday. Collopy said waves bigger than 10 metres are expected to continue while he said flooding remains a "major concern", with the southern flank of the cyclone expected to bring 800mm across the next two days. In what Premier David Crisafulli was a "little moment of magic" amid the chaos, a set of twins have been born on North Stradbroke Island overnight. The island has been badly impacted by Tropical Cyclone Alfred however midwives and paramedics were able to deliver the twins in the town of Dunwich on the western side of the island. We've seen plenty of viral videos from Currumbin's Vikings Surf Life club over the past few days as the storm surge engulfed its car park right on the beach there. Well vision shared to Instagram by local photographer Luke Workmann now shows the damage caused. While plenty of sand has been washed away either side, the car park's tarmac has been completely ripped up. Tens of thousands of people are being warned they could be without power for over a week after storm debris took out a substation on the Gold Coast. Roughly 38,000 people in southeast Queensland have lost power, with the majority of those on the Gold Coast. 'The strong winds have carried debris, tree branches, whole trees, everything onto the network," Energex spokesman Danny Donald told the Courier Mail. Donald said if the cyclone hits part hard, restoration work will be delayed. If there was a video to show you why residents in the line of Cyclone Alfred shouldn't be on the beach, well this is probably it. A man with a metal detector was scanning the Gold Coast sand yesterday when he was quickly engulfed by rising swell, showing just how quickly the storm surge can come in. Authorities are becoming increasingly frustrated with people ignoring instruction to stay off beaches, while the ABC is reporting police will look to fine anyone entering the water $1,600. Well just when you thought that it couldn't be pushed back any further, it has. The landfall prediction for Cyclone Alfred has once again been revised, with the category two cyclone moving slower than expected. The Bureau of Meteorology says it could be as late as 10am on Saturday now for Cyclone Alfred to reach the mainland. It is expected to cross between Noosa and Coolangatta and bring wind gusts north of 150km/h. We bring you more damage now caused by strong wind gusts overnight, with parts of an apartment block in Surfers Paradise blown over. Wind gusts reached close to 90km/h last night at Gold Coast Seaway. We've now heard from Coles about their store closures today. All Gold Coast stores are now shut, all Brisbane stores will be closed by 2pm, with some closing at noon, while Sunshine Coast stores will shut at 4pm. In NSW, all are closed apart from Ballina, Goonellabah and Casino, which will close in 45 minutes and Grafton, South Grafton and Yamba which will stay open until 4pm. "As a food retailer, we know we are an essential part of the communities we serve in times of natural disasters. As such, we have been working hard to keep our stores open as long as it has been safe to do so," a Coles spokesperson said. There are significant power outages in northern NSW where Essential Energy now says has left more than 43,000 homes and businesses without power. A live map shows widespread outages, with authorities warning it will only get worse. North Coast Minister Rose Jackson said people should be prepared to lose their energy supply. "Conditions in the Northern Rivers and Far North Coast continue to be extremely dangerous, hindering restoration efforts for the over 43,000 homes and businesses without power," Essential Energy said in an update this morning. Crews have been stood down as the cyclone conditions worsen. Woolworths says it's trying to keep as many stores open as possible to help communities set to be impacted by Cyclone Alfred. 'Where it remains safe and possible to do so, some of our stores in Brisbane and Sunshine Coast are open this morning to serve the community, however we expect them to close early throughout the day to ensure safe travel home for our team," the supermarket said in an update on Friday morning. 'While we're working to keep as many stores open as possible, some items may be missing from the shelves as trucking services begin to be reduced ahead of the cyclone. We thank customers for their understanding as our teams do their best to support shoppers. Woolworths said it was well prepared to stock shelves once the cyclone was over. All the latest information on which stores are open can be found here. Strong wind gusts have already begun to topple trees across northern NSW and southeast Queensland. And in Byron Bay town centre, an iconic tree near the train station has been ripped out of the ground. Cape Byron recorded wind gusts of 113km/h at 5.30am this morning. Well there we have it. Tropical Cyclone Alfred has entered the Bureau of Meteorology's Brisbane's radar loop. It sits roughly 160km from Queensland's capital. While we're expecting landfall after midnight tonight, that will likely happen first on Moreton Island and will be a bit later for the densely populated areas of Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The storm surge has claimed a fair bit of sand along the Gold Coast's vast coastline and the erosion is only expected to get worse as the water rises. The Gold Coast Bulletin's Andrew Potts has shared vision of one of the city's many lifeguard towers, which normally sit well back from the ocean, in a precarious spot. One of the #goldcoast's famous lifeguard towers now sits on the very edge of a sand Clift as #TCAlfred's swell erodes the beach. @GCBulletin — Andrew Potts (@GCS_Pottsy) March 6, 2025 We saw plenty of people out and about yesterday, with huge crowds seen in places like Burleigh. But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says that has to stop. "Can I say that everyone has to accept personal responsibility here," he told reporters this morning. "This is not a time for sight seeing or seeing what it's like to experience these conditions first hand. "Please stay safe. Be sensible. And keep distance from these events and the impact as it's happening." Queensland Premier David Crisufalli has called out "a handful of idiots" who continue to head to beaches and enter the ocean. You have a handful of idiots who do that, and in the end, they don't just put themselves at risk, they put the emergency services who may have to go and rescue them as well," he said. Acting Chief Superintendent Peter Miles said on Thursday he was "flabbergasted" by the amount of people, particularly kids, he was seeing near the storm surge and stressed nobody should be on the beach. "We all need to be a bit more smart about this and ensure that we don't have any unneeded rescues or potentially worse where we're looking at fatalities," he told reporters. The Bureau of Meteorology has given an insight into what residents in the path of Cyclone Alfred can expect. Senior forecaster Christie Johnson explained it will be a prolonged event once the cyclone makes landfall. 'It'll be those sort of conditions that we're used to seeing for 20 minutes or so at a time with a thunderstorm coming through … but potentially sustained for six hours or more," she told the ABC. As Tropical Cyclone Alfred makes its way towards the east coast, those in its direct path are being warned deadly conditions will occur today. The category two cyclone is expected to make landfall in the early hours of Saturday morning but the threat to residents has already begun. "Regardless of whether it does cross as a category one, two, or three, we are still expecting that very heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding well before the crossing and well after the crossing as well and that very dangerous storm surge," The Bureau of Meteorology's Jonathan Howe said. Tens of thousands of people have been impacted by power outages, while there have been evacuations in some areas. Schools, supermarkets and airports have shut as communities bunker down. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Well this is a somewhat positive update for millions anxiously waiting in Brisbane. The Bureau of Meteorology's Matthew Collopy told reporters just now the cyclone should weaken by the time it reaches Queensland's capital. "As the cyclone moves across Moreton Bay islands, it is expected to weaken from a Category two to a Category one system," he said. "That will mean that destructive winds are unlikely for Brisbane itself, but damaging wind gusts to 120km/h are expected and they will develop quickly as the system approaches." He expects the cyclone to pass north of the city's CBD about midday on Saturday. Collopy said waves bigger than 10 metres are expected to continue while he said flooding remains a "major concern", with the southern flank of the cyclone expected to bring 800mm across the next two days. In what Premier David Crisafulli was a "little moment of magic" amid the chaos, a set of twins have been born on North Stradbroke Island overnight. The island has been badly impacted by Tropical Cyclone Alfred however midwives and paramedics were able to deliver the twins in the town of Dunwich on the western side of the island. We've seen plenty of viral videos from Currumbin's Vikings Surf Life club over the past few days as the storm surge engulfed its car park right on the beach there. Well vision shared to Instagram by local photographer Luke Workmann now shows the damage caused. While plenty of sand has been washed away either side, the car park's tarmac has been completely ripped up. Tens of thousands of people are being warned they could be without power for over a week after storm debris took out a substation on the Gold Coast. Roughly 38,000 people in southeast Queensland have lost power, with the majority of those on the Gold Coast. 'The strong winds have carried debris, tree branches, whole trees, everything onto the network," Energex spokesman Danny Donald told the Courier Mail. Donald said if the cyclone hits part hard, restoration work will be delayed. If there was a video to show you why residents in the line of Cyclone Alfred shouldn't be on the beach, well this is probably it. A man with a metal detector was scanning the Gold Coast sand yesterday when he was quickly engulfed by rising swell, showing just how quickly the storm surge can come in. Authorities are becoming increasingly frustrated with people ignoring instruction to stay off beaches, while the ABC is reporting police will look to fine anyone entering the water $1,600. Well just when you thought that it couldn't be pushed back any further, it has. The landfall prediction for Cyclone Alfred has once again been revised, with the category two cyclone moving slower than expected. The Bureau of Meteorology says it could be as late as 10am on Saturday now for Cyclone Alfred to reach the mainland. It is expected to cross between Noosa and Coolangatta and bring wind gusts north of 150km/h. We bring you more damage now caused by strong wind gusts overnight, with parts of an apartment block in Surfers Paradise blown over. Wind gusts reached close to 90km/h last night at Gold Coast Seaway. We've now heard from Coles about their store closures today. All Gold Coast stores are now shut, all Brisbane stores will be closed by 2pm, with some closing at noon, while Sunshine Coast stores will shut at 4pm. In NSW, all are closed apart from Ballina, Goonellabah and Casino, which will close in 45 minutes and Grafton, South Grafton and Yamba which will stay open until 4pm. "As a food retailer, we know we are an essential part of the communities we serve in times of natural disasters. As such, we have been working hard to keep our stores open as long as it has been safe to do so," a Coles spokesperson said. There are significant power outages in northern NSW where Essential Energy now says has left more than 43,000 homes and businesses without power. A live map shows widespread outages, with authorities warning it will only get worse. North Coast Minister Rose Jackson said people should be prepared to lose their energy supply. "Conditions in the Northern Rivers and Far North Coast continue to be extremely dangerous, hindering restoration efforts for the over 43,000 homes and businesses without power," Essential Energy said in an update this morning. Crews have been stood down as the cyclone conditions worsen. Woolworths says it's trying to keep as many stores open as possible to help communities set to be impacted by Cyclone Alfred. 'Where it remains safe and possible to do so, some of our stores in Brisbane and Sunshine Coast are open this morning to serve the community, however we expect them to close early throughout the day to ensure safe travel home for our team," the supermarket said in an update on Friday morning. 'While we're working to keep as many stores open as possible, some items may be missing from the shelves as trucking services begin to be reduced ahead of the cyclone. We thank customers for their understanding as our teams do their best to support shoppers. Woolworths said it was well prepared to stock shelves once the cyclone was over. All the latest information on which stores are open can be found here. Strong wind gusts have already begun to topple trees across northern NSW and southeast Queensland. And in Byron Bay town centre, an iconic tree near the train station has been ripped out of the ground. Cape Byron recorded wind gusts of 113km/h at 5.30am this morning. Well there we have it. Tropical Cyclone Alfred has entered the Bureau of Meteorology's Brisbane's radar loop. It sits roughly 160km from Queensland's capital. While we're expecting landfall after midnight tonight, that will likely happen first on Moreton Island and will be a bit later for the densely populated areas of Brisbane and the Gold Coast. The storm surge has claimed a fair bit of sand along the Gold Coast's vast coastline and the erosion is only expected to get worse as the water rises. The Gold Coast Bulletin's Andrew Potts has shared vision of one of the city's many lifeguard towers, which normally sit well back from the ocean, in a precarious spot. One of the #goldcoast's famous lifeguard towers now sits on the very edge of a sand Clift as #TCAlfred's swell erodes the beach. @GCBulletin — Andrew Potts (@GCS_Pottsy) March 6, 2025 We saw plenty of people out and about yesterday, with huge crowds seen in places like Burleigh. But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says that has to stop. "Can I say that everyone has to accept personal responsibility here," he told reporters this morning. "This is not a time for sight seeing or seeing what it's like to experience these conditions first hand. "Please stay safe. Be sensible. And keep distance from these events and the impact as it's happening." Queensland Premier David Crisufalli has called out "a handful of idiots" who continue to head to beaches and enter the ocean. You have a handful of idiots who do that, and in the end, they don't just put themselves at risk, they put the emergency services who may have to go and rescue them as well," he said. Acting Chief Superintendent Peter Miles said on Thursday he was "flabbergasted" by the amount of people, particularly kids, he was seeing near the storm surge and stressed nobody should be on the beach. "We all need to be a bit more smart about this and ensure that we don't have any unneeded rescues or potentially worse where we're looking at fatalities," he told reporters. The Bureau of Meteorology has given an insight into what residents in the path of Cyclone Alfred can expect. Senior forecaster Christie Johnson explained it will be a prolonged event once the cyclone makes landfall. 'It'll be those sort of conditions that we're used to seeing for 20 minutes or so at a time with a thunderstorm coming through … but potentially sustained for six hours or more," she told the ABC. As Tropical Cyclone Alfred makes its way towards the east coast, those in its direct path are being warned deadly conditions will occur today. The category two cyclone is expected to make landfall in the early hours of Saturday morning but the threat to residents has already begun. "Regardless of whether it does cross as a category one, two, or three, we are still expecting that very heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding well before the crossing and well after the crossing as well and that very dangerous storm surge," The Bureau of Meteorology's Jonathan Howe said. Tens of thousands of people have been impacted by power outages, while there have been evacuations in some areas. Schools, supermarkets and airports have shut as communities bunker down.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
'Scary' tropical Cyclone Alfred nears Queensland
The wind has been kicking up along the Gold Coast and so too has the swell. But while authorities have been warning residents to stay indoors as Cyclone Alfred approaches, die-hard surfers have been throwing caution to the increasing wind. "This is what we look forward to," said Jeff Weatherall as he waited for a jet ski to pick him up from Kirra beach and carry him into the big waves. "This is the fifth day straight - I've done nothing but eat, sleep, surf and do it again." Kirra beach is famous for its breakers and this week has been busy as surfers wait for Cyclone Alfred. The cyclone is expected to make landfall as a category two system late Friday or – more likely - early Saturday morning. Its path has slowed in recent days and has been moving "erratically" according to weather experts, which is why landfall has been delayed from earlier predictions. "A category two system means winds near the centre up to 95km/h (59mph), with gusts up to 130km/h," says the Bureau of Meteorology's Matthew Collopy. Four million people are in the firing line of Cyclone Alfred. It's expected to hit between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast - a stretch of Australia known for its beautiful beaches and top surf – as well as Brisbane, Australia's third-biggest city. The past few days in Kirra have been "crazy", said resident and keen surfer Donnie Neal. "It's pretty serious, there are people that are going to lose their houses, but at the moment, you're taking the good of it all - this is just crazy surf." As well as strong winds, Cyclone Alfred is expected to dump as much as 800mm of rain in the coming days, affecting a large area of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. Flash and riverine flooding is the biggest concern in low-lying areas. "These are tough times, but Australians are tough people, and we are resilient people," said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday, echoing the Gold Coast's acting Mayor Donna Gates, who has said Cyclone Alfred is a "scary proposition" for the region. Nearly 1,000 schools have closed, public transport has been suspended and airports are shut. Flights aren't expected to resume until Sunday at the earliest. Elective surgeries have also been cancelled. While Queensland isn't a stranger to cyclones – it's the most disaster-prone state in Australia – it's rare they come so far south. The last time it happened was in 1974, when Cyclone Wanda hit in January and then two months later, Zoe crossed the coast. Flooding though, is more common. In February 2022, thousands of homes were damaged along much of Australia's east after heavy rain. Authorities have been keen to prepare communities ahead of Cyclone Alfred. The council opened sandbag depots across the region to help residents protect their homes. "It's surreal. We know it's coming, but it's very quiet," said Anthony Singh, a resident of the Brisbane suburb of West End. He waited for four hours on Wednesday to pick up sandbags to protect his home. Fellow resident Mark Clayton, helped to co-ordinate the sandbag collection, shovelling more than 140 tonnes of sand. "I think people are a bit apprehensive," he says. "Are the buildings going to stay up, are the roofs going to stay on? People expect a lot of trees to come down and to lose power for an extended period of time." With supermarkets now shut and people mostly sheltering at home, there's a lot of uncertainty as Australians wait for the storm to hit.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Category 4 Tropical Cyclone Zelia, with 180-mph gusts, strikes Western Australia
Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Tropical Cyclone Zelia made landfall Friday on Australia's west coast as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained wind gusts at 180 mph, though minimal damage ensued. Zelia, the fifth named storm in the Australian region this season, was a Category 5 before reaching 30 miles east of Port Hedland at 12:30 p.m. local time. Pardoo Station recorded a peak wind gust of 75 mph and 17.16 inches of rain over a 48-hour period. Port Hedlan, which has a population of 15,000 people, is one of the world's busiest iron ore ports, according to the bureau. "This is a very dangerous system that will cause significant impact and is causing impacts as we speak," Australian Bureau of Meteorology's Matthew Collopy said in a report by News Az. By 7 p.m., the cyclone was downgraded to a Category 3 storm with winds of 93 mph as it moved south. Cyclone Zelia is the strongest storm to hit the Pilbara coast since Cyclone Ilsa in April 2023. Reported damage so far has been limited to toppled trees and some minor flooding. That includes Port Hedland International Airport, which has plans to resume service Sunday. "Whilst we've got a few trees down, some localized flooding in our entry into the actual airport we have come, we are hoping, relatively unscathed," airport CEO Hayley Vale told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. "We are lucky we have got a relatively new terminal, we have had some water ingress into it that we can see but nothing major." Three weeks ago Tropical Cyclone Sean went near Western Australia as a Category 4 storm, the second storm of the season. The hurricane season in Australia goes from November to April. Hurricanes are also tracked in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The northwest coast of Western Australia has the most cyclones in the country, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Since 1961, Australia's mainland has had 18 other storms rated Category 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale.
