Australians Brace for Impact as Cyclone Alfred Approaches, Thousands Evacuate

Australia’s east coast is on high alert as Tropical Cyclone Alfred nears landfall, with fierce winds and massive waves threatening to wreak havoc.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged residents to “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst” as the storm heads toward the densely populated areas of Queensland, bringing with it the promise of destruction and disruption.

By Friday afternoon, Cyclone Alfred was only 125 kilometers (78 miles) east of Brisbane, inching toward the city at a crawling pace. Weather officials predict that it will make landfall early on Saturday, sparking widespread evacuation orders and leaving over 80,000 homes without power.

“This is a time for Australians to show their resilience,” said Albanese in a press briefing. “When nature shows its fury, we come together. We look out for one another and show the strength of our communities.”

Matt Collopy, from the Bureau of Meteorology, offered some reassurance, noting that the cyclone’s intensity was expected to diminish as it approached Brisbane. While destructive winds may avoid the city, strong gusts of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) are expected to develop quickly and could still cause significant damage.

Despite these hopes, the situation along the coast is already deteriorating. Al Jazeera’s Sarah Clarke, reporting from Brisbane, said that while the city remains calm for now, the surrounding areas, particularly on the Gold Coast, are facing worsening conditions. Huge waves are battering the beaches as the cyclone moves ever closer, and the pressure is mounting on local authorities.

In northern New South Wales, the storm’s effects have already proven deadly. A tragic incident occurred when a truck was swept off a bridge by rising waters. State Emergency Service personnel, in cooperation with local police, are currently searching for the missing driver.

The man, who had briefly climbed a tree to escape the surging river, was later seen being swept away in the fast-moving current, and is feared to have drowned.

With the storm’s full impact yet to be felt, the coming hours will be critical for communities up and down the coast. As the cyclone edges closer to land, officials and residents alike are bracing for a long night ahead, hoping that the storm will lose its strength but preparing for the worst.