Latest news with #TCAlfred
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Hundreds of Aussie Surfers Sick from Mysterious Sea Foam
A mysterious sea foam has appeared on South Australia's shores, making surfers sick and killing marine life from fish to octopuses and more. The foamy phenomena has washed ashore at Waitpinga and Parsons Beach, near Adelaide, and has resulted in hundreds of surfers falling ill. 'It's just covered in a really heavy, dense, yellow foam, with a fair bit of green, slimy, scummy stuff on the beach at the tidelines,' local surfer Anthony Rowland told The Guardian. After surfing amidst the foam, Rowland reported: 'I was really raspy. It was sort of like when you inhale a potent cleaning product, if you're cleaning a kitchen sink or something. It hit the back of my throat.' As of now, it's unclear whether or not the foam is related to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which slammed Australia's east coast recently. However, that region experienced a similar situation. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a spokesperson reported: 'The EPA have received multiple reports that dead fish and seahorses could be found on shore and that there was red staining on the sand and foam on the beaches. 'The Epa are working with other agencies … to attend the scene and take water samples. 'It is believed the event could be due to a microalgal bloom that has been driven by hot temperatures and still water and an ongoing marine heatwave, with temperatures currently 2.5C warmer than usual, with little wind and small swell contributing to conditions.'As for the foam on the beaches seen during TC Alfred on the Gold Coast, per the precautionary video from ABC above: 'It probably contains lots of sewage, made up of poop, pharmaceuticals, detergent from people's laundries, and more…it's best to avoid playing in the foam.'
The Guardian
07-03-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Brisbane suburbs at risk: these maps show the areas most likely to flood during Cyclone Alfred
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is forecast to strike densely populated areas of south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales. Brisbane, home to more than 2.5 million people, is among the places in the storm's path. Brisbane city council says almost 20,000 properties in the Queensland capital could be affected by storm surges or flooding. Residents have been urged to consider relocating ahead of the cyclone's arrival. Peak flooding and storm surges are expected from Thursday. The cyclone is expected to cross the coast early on Friday morning. The warning is based on new modelling produced by the council, based on the latest Bureau of Meteorology forecasts. Affected properties could experience damage ranging from mild inundation in yards to significant flooding inside homes. The council says impacts may extend beyond those areas highlighted in the modelling. Suburbs identified as most at risk include Nudgee Beach, Brighton, Windsor, Ashgrove, Morningside and Rocklea. The maps below show the predicted flood extent based on advice issued by the bureau. For cyclone preparedness and safety advice, go to Get Ready Queensland. For emergency assistance call the State Emergency Service (SES) in NSW or Queensland on 132 500. This new article in the Conversation also outlines how to prepare for the cyclone, including what to pack, how to soothe children and how to protect your home. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Matt Garrow is an editorial web developer and Nicole Hasham is the energy and environmental editor at the Conversation, where this article was originally published. Read more of Guardian Australia's Tropical Cyclone Alfred coverage: Tropical Cyclone Alfred LIVE: latest news and updates When and where is Cyclone Alfred likely to make landfall? Why did Tropical Cyclone Alfred slow down on its path towards the east coast? What we know so far about TC Alfred How to prepare for a cyclone Is climate change supercharging Tropical Cyclone Alfred as it powers towards Australia?
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Mayor ‘stuck in US' after Vegas trip
Acting Gold Coast City Council Mayor Donna Gates has defended Mayor Tom Tate for being missing-in-action as the city prepares for an imminent battering of Tropical Cyclone Alfred. The longtime mayor remains in Los Angeles on holidays with his wife, Ruth Tate, however a council source said six attempts to return to Queensland have been thwarted by cancelled flights. It's understood Mr Tate has been on personal leave since February 21, where he attended the NRL Magic Round in Las Vegas as a guest of Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys. Prior to the cyclone, Mr Tate had been scheduled to return from leave on Thursday, and has been attempting to return from the United States since Sunday. However the council source stressed all tickets had been paid for personally by Mr Tate, and were not funded by rate payers. A booked flight from Los Angeles to Brisbane on Saturday night was cancelled on Friday due to TC Alfred's expected landfall on Saturday morning. As it stands, Brisbane Airport has also suspended both incoming and outgoing flights until further notice. Mr Tate is now booked on a flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne, and hoping to return to the Gold Coast by Sunday, weather permitting. In statement, Ms Gates, who has been fronting media daily, said Mr Tate had been kept up to date on the cyclone's movements. 'The Mayor has made several attempts to get home but unfortunately all those flights have been cancelled,' she said. 'He is as up to date as I am on all cyclone developments. I have personally spoken to him several times and sent him every situation report as they come through multiple times daily.' With the category 2 cyclone just hours away from crossing the coast, residents in southeast Queensland and NSW's Northern Rivers have been warned of damaging winds of up to 155km/h and the risk of significant flooding. More than 41,000 homes and business in Queensland have lot power, with about 43,000 homes in northern NSW, with residents expected to be pelted with days of rain, with daily totals feared between 200mm to 400mm.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tropical Cyclone Alfred to threaten lives before landfall, premier calls out 'idiots' on beaches, BoM's daunting six-hour warning
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 finalise their 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 more than 35,000 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. Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day. 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. 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.
The Independent
06-03-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is slowing down – here's why that makes it more dangerous
Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which had already been moving at a sluggish pace, has slowed even further now, delaying the landfall and raising serious concerns about prolonged storm impacts for Australia 's eastern coast. Initially expected to make landfall late Thursday or early Friday, the latest forecast shows Alfred is now moving at a speed of just 7kmph, slowed down by half of its speed on Wednesday. The storm may not reach the coast until early Saturday now, meaning millions in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales will endure damaging winds, torrential rain, and dangerous surf conditions for much longer than anticipated. On Thursday morning, Alfred was just 240km off the coast of Brisbane, already bringing record-high waves of 12m and heavy rainfall. The Bureau of Meteorology expects the storm to stall further, potentially staying near the coast for a long time before making landfall. "For the rest of Thursday, we will continue to see Tropical Cyclone Alfred moving west towards the southeast Queensland coast and northeast New South Wales,' the bureau said in a bulletin. 'But into Friday, it does become very slow moving and may even stall just off the coast of Brisbane as a Category 2 system.' Experts say this sluggish movement is tied to a breakdown in the winds that usually steer cyclones. 'The slower than expected movement of TC Alfred is a result of weaker than expected steering winds than originally forecast,' Michael Barnes, research fellow at Monash University, told The Independent. Alfred was originally moving southeast, like most cyclones do, but it encountered a high-pressure system over the Tasman Sea that blocked its path and forced it to turn west toward the coast of Australia to make a rare landfall. The last time Brisbane saw a tropical storm reach this close to its shores, it was 1990. Gold Coast acting mayor Donna Gates said in terms of destructive winds and heavy rain, the city hasn't seen anything like this since 1952. But now, the winds pushing it along have weakened, leaving it meandering offshore instead of moving steadily inland. However, the effects on the ground are increased by this, experts say. Why slow-moving storms are far worse A slow-moving cyclone is often far worse than one that moves quickly. The longer a cyclone stays over a region, the more rain it dumps. 'Both wind and rainfall will be prolonged over areas affected which will exacerbate the impact felt by people and infrastructure,' Mr Barnes says for Alfred. 'This includes rainfall and wind as well as storm surge and coastal wave effects.' Flood warnings are already in place, with southeast Queensland and northern NSW expecting accumulated 800mm of rain expected, with higher totals possible in some areas. Life-threatening flash flooding and river flooding are major concerns. Northern New South Wales has already recorded over 200mm of rainfall in 24 hours while Queensland has recorded o ver 100mm in hinterland areas and the Scenic Rim by 8am on Thursday. When rain continues to fall on an already soaked ground, the risk of life-threatening flash flooding and river flooding increases since the water has nowhere to go, overwhelming rivers, storm drains, and low-lying areas much faster. The prolonged heavy rain also means that floodwaters will take longer to recede, extending the impact on communities. Record-breaking waves exceeding 12m have already been recorded offshore. Prolonged exposure to large waves and storm surges could also lead to severe coastal erosion, particularly along already vulnerable areas of the Gold Coast and northern NSW, experts warn. Alfred is expected to maintain Category 2 strength for much of its approach. But the extra time over warm water could potentially give it more fuel to intensify. 'Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which has already been a slow-moving system, has further slowed down on its approach to landfall. This brings several concerns,' professor Ana Vila-Concejo from the University of Sydney, told The Independent. 'Currently, the cyclone is lingering over warmer waters, increasing the chances of further intensification before it reaches the coast.' However, there's also a chance it could weaken earlier. But it's still capable of dumping massive amounts of rain, says Iftekhar Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Newcastle. "Cyclone Alfred is a shallow system, meaning it lacks the deep convection required for rapid intensification,' he told The Independent. 'It has been brewing for over 10 days, gaining and losing strength due to fluctuating sea temperatures and cloud cover. The fact that it is moving slowly now could mean it's losing energy, but it will still carry massive amounts of moisture, making flooding a serious threat." Why more storms move slowly now The behaviour of Cyclone Alfred reflects a growing trend seen in tropical storms worldwide. Several hurricanes and cyclones have been found to be lingering far longer than usual. Research shows that tropical cyclones worldwide have slowed by 10 per cent over the past 70 years. While many factors influenced contributing to its unusual track and slow movement, one of the major reasons has been warmer ocean temperatures. 'Tropical cyclones feed off the warmth of the sea, explains the deeper it is, the more heat the sea can store and radiate, creating the convection currents that form cyclones,' explains Dr Ahmed. Sea surface temperatures near Australia are well above normal. Rising global temperatures, driven by burning coal, oil and gas, are increasing sea surface temperatures across the planet, increasing marine heatwaves and fuelling hurricanes and cyclones. This year's Atlantic Hurricane Season also saw an extraordinary number of storms with 11 of the 18 developing hurricane strength and five becoming major hurricanes. When Hurricane Milton devastated Florida, scientists found ' bath-tub hot' waters off the coast drove its intensification. 'Tropical cyclones are clearly linked to global warming, with increasing frequency and magnitude,' Dr Ahmed said on Monday. 'Alfred is also striking further south than usual, impacting northern NSW, an area that has not had a cyclone warning in over 50 years.' Alfred's slow movement has already forced major disruptions across Queensland. Gold Coast airport is shut down, flights are cancelled, and thousands are without power. A vast area from the Double Island Point near K'gari in Queensland to Grafton in northern NSW remain under warning.
