Australia's east coast braces itself for cyclone Alfred
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Resident Jon Wadey sandbags his house on Bribie Island in Brisbane, Australia, on March 4.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
SYDNEY - Australia's east coast braced itself on March 5 for a tropical cyclone that is swirling towards Brisbane, the country's third-most populous city, as the authorities warned thousands of properties were at risk due to strong winds and flash flooding.
Destructive wind gusts of up to 155kmh could develop from the afternoon of March 5, as tropical cyclone Alfred is expected to cross the coast as a category two storm early on the morning of March 7, near Queensland state capital Brisbane, Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said.
The weather system will bring heavy rainfall, leading to life-threatening flash floods, it said.
Category two cyclones – on a five-level scale – are three rungs away from the most dangerous and can cause major damage to trees and caravans, and break boats from their moorings.
“If you’re told to leave, you should leave. I can’t be more blunt than that,” Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told ABC News, calling on residents to heed evacuation orders.
Storm warnings on March 5 stretched for more than 500km across the coast in the states of Queensland and New South Wales, impacting millions of people.
A total of 122 schools in the north of New South Wales will be closed on March 5 and 6, and vulnerable residents will be urged to relocate by the morning of March 6, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said.
"We need to bunker down over the next 48 hours and get through what may be a very difficult time," he told reporters.
Many residents have left their homes as the authorities rush to open evacuation centres. Sandbags are in short supply and supermarket shelves have been stripped bare as people stock up on essentials.
Theme parks in the tourist city of Gold Coast will be closed from March 5, the Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned WPGA golf championship event was called off, and the season-opening matches of the Australian Football League in Brisbane were postponed. REUTERS
