Forecast track maps for Tropical Cyclone Alfred are now published hourly on the BOM website. Find the latest here: bom.gov.au/cyclone
Tropical Cyclone Alfred is currently located 125km east of Brisbane and 90km east north-east of the Gold Coast.
It is a category 2 system, moving at 8km/hr slowly towards the south-east Queensland coast.
Alfred is expected to cross over the Moreton Bay Islands on Saturday morning, before crossing the mainland coast later during Saturday, most likely between Noosa and Beenleigh.
A Warning Zone is current for Double Island Point in Queensland to just north of Grafton in New South Wales, including Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina.
Rainfall, wind and ocean impacts are likely to persist today and over the weekend.
Heavy rainfall bands are continuing to extend over south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales. Heavy to locally intense rainfall which may lead to dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding is likely to develop from this afternoon.
Once Alfred crosses the coast, it is likely to weaken below tropical cyclone strength later on Saturday. However, heavy to locally intense rainfall is expected to continue near and south of the system centre during the weekend.
Separate Severe Weather Warning, Flood Watches, and Flood Warnings are current for south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales.
Abnormally high tides are likely to continue causing minor flooding of coastal low lying areas between Double Island Point and Ballina, particularly during tonight’s (early Saturday) high tide. Damaging surf leading to significant beach erosion remains likely for the open beaches between Double Island Point and Grafton, and further south over the New South Wales coast. Separate Coastal Hazard and Hazardous Surf warnings are current for south-east Queensland and New South Wales coasts.
Gales with damaging wind gusts to 120km/hr are occurring near the coast between Cape Moreton and Yamba. Gales with damaging wind gusts to 120km/hr are expected to extend along the remaining south-east Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales coastal and island communities between Noosa and Yamba later today as Alfred approaches the coast. These winds may extend as far south as Grafton and northwards to Double Island Point in the evening or Saturday morning.
Destructive wind gusts of up to 155km/hr may develop about the Moreton Bay Islands and exposed coastal location on the northern Gold Coast from tonight, as Alfred’s destructive core approaches the coast. The destructive winds may persist until Alfred crosses the coast early Saturday morning.
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. A separate Severe Weather Warning is current.
For more information and the latest tropical cyclone forecast, visit www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/
