Rare Cyclone Approaches Australia’s Coast, Forcing School Closures and Transport Shutdown

Schools Shut Down and Public Transport Halted as Unusual Cyclone Advances Towards Australia's Coast

Early signs of Tropical Cyclone Alfred emerged on Thursday as strong winds and rain battered parts of eastern Australia, forcing school closures, halting public transportation, and leading residents to seek creative alternatives to scarce sandbags by purchasing potting mix.

According to Bureau of Meteorology manager Matt Collopy, Alfred is projected to make landfall along Queensland’s coastline early Saturday. The expected impact zone stretches from the Sunshine Coast to the south, encompassing Gold Coast.

Brisbane, the capital of Queensland and Australia’s third-largest city, sits between these two renowned tourist destinations. The city, which is set to host the 2032 Olympic Games, is bracing for the cyclone’s impact.

“The wind impacts, we’re already seeing those start to develop on the exposed locations along our coast with gusts reaching 80-to-90 kph (50-to-56 mph). We are expecting those to continue to develop,” Collopy stated during a press briefing in Brisbane.

This marks the first time a cyclone is set to hit the Brisbane area since Cyclone Zoe struck Gold Coast in 1974, triggering severe floods.

Although cyclones frequently occur in Queensland’s tropical northern regions, they are rare in the southeastern part of the state, which borders New South Wales and is densely populated.

With over four million people in the storm’s direct path, concerns are mounting.

Expected Winds and Flooding

At a distance of 240 kilometers (150 miles) east of Brisbane on Thursday, Cyclone Alfred was advancing westward with sustained winds reaching 95 kph (59 mph) and gusts of up to 130 kph (81 mph), Collopy reported.

Despite expectations that Alfred’s wind intensity will remain steady before making landfall, the primary concern is the extensive flooding it may trigger. Forecasts suggest that as many as 20,000 homes in Brisbane, a city largely constructed on a floodplain, could experience water inundation.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that worsening weather conditions prompted the closure of 660 schools in southern Queensland and 280 in northern New South Wales on Thursday.

In response, the federal government dispatched 310,000 sandbags to Brisbane, with additional shipments en route, Albanese confirmed.

“My message to people, whether they be in southeast Queensland or northern New South Wales, is we are there to support you. We have your back,” Albanese reassured during a press conference in Canberra.

With Brisbane’s population exceeding three million, sandbag shortages forced some residents to turn to potting mix as an alternative. Damien Effeney, the CEO of a rural supplies company, noted that demand for potting mix surged.

“I think between availability and the time that people have to queue to get sandbags, they’re just making the easier choice and grabbing potting mix,” Effeney explained, revealing that one customer had purchased 30 bags from his store in Samford, a suburb on Brisbane’s northwest outskirts.

Several sandbag collection sites in Brisbane ran out of supplies, while others saw residents enduring hours-long waits to obtain available bags. In a bizarre twist, a local beach volleyball business reported that some of its sand had been stolen for makeshift flood protection.

Meanwhile, Brisbane’s roads were eerily empty, and panic buying left grocery store shelves devoid of essentials such as bread, milk, bottled water, and batteries.

Public transportation services across affected areas were suspended from Thursday, while hospitals limited operations to emergency procedures until the crisis subsides.

Power Outages and Rising Waters

The powerful winds uprooted trees and disrupted electricity services to 4,500 residences and businesses across northern New South Wales, authorities confirmed.

Heavy rainfall drenched the region, causing rivers to swell dangerously. Emergency officials urged residents in 14 northern New South Wales communities to evacuate as a precaution against becoming trapped by floodwaters.

Coastal areas near the Queensland-New South Wales border have endured relentless battering from exceptionally high tides and rough seas in recent days. Authorities reported that a towering 12.3-meter (40-foot) wave recorded off a popular Gold Coast beach on Wednesday night set a new record for the region.

Meteorologists initially forecasted that the cyclone would make landfall late Thursday or early Friday. However, a revision in predictions granted residents an extra 24 hours to reinforce their homes and prepare.

Despite this delay, meteorologist Jane Golding warned that the storm’s prolonged journey toward the coast carries additional risks.

“We’ll have longer for the rain to fall and the wind to do the damage,” Golding cautioned.