Brisbane exhausted as the storm causes floods, strong winds and widely used holidays in the southeastern Queensland.
Thousands of Queensland residents were left without authority on Sunday, after Cyclone Alfred, a degraded tropical cyclone, caused widespread damage to the whole state.
The storm brought heavy rainfall, destructive winds and floods, leaving about 316,540 people without electricity. Gold Coast was the worst area, with more than 112,000 people in the city affected, according to Energy Distributor Energex.
Cyclone Alfred arrived on Saturday as a tropical low after 16 days of surveillance as a strong cyclone. Despite the weakening of the storm, it caused a significant disorder throughout Queensland, especially in southeastern and coastal areas.
Brisbane, the state capital, largely avoided the worst of the storm, but was still facing some rainfall and impact on the wind. The storm also influenced parts of the northern New South Wales, causing dangerous conditions in cities such as Lismore.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the situation in Queensland and North New South Wales as “very serious” due to the ongoing threat of flood and strong winds. “The heavy rainfall, the devastating winds and the effects of the surf coastal are expected to continue in the coming days,” the Albanian said in a statement on Sunday as the storm continued to move inland.
The Meteorology Office issued warnings of continuing rainfall that could cause floods in Brisbane and other regional centers, such as Ipswich, Sunshine Coast and Gympie.
The storm also brought winds of up to 90 km/h in different parts of the state. Meteorologist Dean Narramore confirmed that while Alfred had weakened, he would continue to bring significant rain to the southeastern Queensland in the coming days.
Brisbane airport opened again on Sunday, but warned that ongoing weather could cause flight timetables. Authorities also carefully monitor the state of power, with Energex reporting that some areas may face extensive holidays due to damaged infrastructure.
Prime Minister David Crisafulli has announced that about 1,000 schools, which had been closed due to the storm, will review the repeat on Monday.
However, he confirmed that Gold Coast schools, which have seen significant damage, would remain closed. “Where it is safe to do so, schools will open again, but in Gold Coast, the issues of loss and power transfer remain significant concerns,” Crisafulli said.
The storm claimed at least one life on Saturday in the north of New South Wales, where a man drowned in floodwaters. In addition, two Australian defensive vehicles on the way to help Lismore residents clashed on a street, injuring several officers.
As Cyclone Alfred weakens and moves further inland, the flood threat, strong winds and additional damage remains high for the next few days.
Queensland authorities urge residents to remain careful and take into account all the warnings of the weather, while praising the community’s resilience to address the ongoing challenges.
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