Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred – Saturday's key events

Thanks to all of our live-blog watchers and stay safe out there — we are closing the blog for the day.

— Zacharias Szumer

Acting Gold Coast Mayor Donna Gates is calling on people to use common sense as they emerge from their places of shelter.

As some of the more damaging winds subside, Gates said "it's been better news than we were expecting".

"We had winds of upwards of 100 km/h last night," she said.

"Today we still have potential for gale force winds to persist."

Beach conditions at Coolangatta on the Gold Coast remained highly volatile on Saturday. Source: AAP / Dave Hunt

More than 134,000 Gold Coast properties are still without power and there are a lot of intersections where traffic lights aren't working.

"Use your common sense but still stay away from that damaged infrastructure and the beaches but monitor the conditions," she said.

"If you need to be on the roads, drive to the conditions but bearing in mind you are better off the road today if at all possible."

— Cameron Carr

Senator Tony Sheldon says there has been an expansion to the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) for Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, due to the havoc it has caused so far.

He said this was the first time DRFA funding — which shares the cost of disaster relief between federal and state governments — had been activated before an event had finished, and that the areas of Glen Innes Severn, Armidale, and Tenterfield were now included in the recovery package.

"That's $15 million that has already been allocated thanks to the state government and the Albanese government," he said.

Janelle Saffin, the member for Lismore in NSW, is also encouraging people who want to help with donations to affected areas to do so through trusted organisations or partner agency Givit.

"Understandably, a lot of people want to give and they want to give what they have got, and I understand it completely.

"But what I say is, please go through Givit, and other [organisations] like the Salvation Army, Vinnies and Red Cross, they have launched their appeals."

— Cameron Carr

Brisbane has been spared the worst of Alfred after the system weakened as it approached. The storm is now forecast to head north and miss the city completely, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM).

Alfred has been weakening throughout the day, and the BoM's Helen Reid says it is unlikely to reform into a tropical cyclone.

"We are expecting that the remnants will stay overland and just bring a lot of rainfall to the land area," she said.

Work is underway now to restart operations at Brisbane Airport according to the terminal's website.

Several flights in and out of Queensland have been cancelled with travellers compensated by airlines.

READ MORE

What airlines are offering travellers as Tropical Cyclone Alfred sparks cancellations

The airport said while the work will take "some time", it is hopeful to reopen on Sunday.

— Cameron Carr

Despite being downgraded, Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred is still bringing dangerous weather to several parts of Queensland and NSW, as the following pictures show:

A fallen tree near Currumbin on the Gold Coast, just north of the Queensland-NSW border. Source: SBS / Alexandra Jones

Water over the road after heavy overnight rain in Ballina, NSW. Source: Getty / James D. Morgan

A fallen tree stretches out powerlines at Labrador on the Gold Coast. Source: AAP / Dave Hunt

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned people across the southeast coast of Queensland from Texas to Maryborough that they could face "life-threatening flash flooding" as Alfred prepares to make landfall.

In an update, the bureau said that ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred was sitting just off Bribie Island and is now "expected to make landfall along the coastline between Maroochydore and Bribie Island" later today, before "moving inland and weakening."

It added that "heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding" is expected to continue to develop across the state's south east coast in the coming hours.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has issued a flash flooding warning for residents of northeastern New South Wales, from Nambucca Heads to Tweeds Heads.

"Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is possible today [around] parts of the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and Northern Tablelands, and is expected to increase through inland parts of the warning area during Sunday," the BoM said.

The bureau also warned that "damaging wind gusts with peak gusts of around 100 km/h are possible today with showers and thunderstorms around the coastal fringe north of Ballina" which could ease by Sunday morning.

It added that "damaging wind gusts of around 90 km/h remain possible over parts of the Northern Tablelands" in the coming hours.

Just under 300,000 homes are currently without power across Queensland and New South Wales.

There are about 250,000 without power in Queensland and 42,000 in NSW.

Trees have been uprooted in Currumbin Creek Queensland where the entire area is without power and a watch and act is in effect. Source: SBS / Alexandra Jones

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has described the outage as "the single biggest loss" of power the state has experienced "in over a decade".

Earlier we reported that more than 250,000 homes across Queensland and New South Wales were without power as Alfred approaches, and authorities have confirmed that figure is only expected to rise.

More than 122,000 homes remain without power in the Gold Coast, which equates to almost half of the properties in the city.

Crisafulli said that on top of the power blackouts affecting homes, Gold Coast University Hospital is also experiencing an outage and relying on generators to operate.

— Cameron Carr

"The big message we want to send this morning, having spoken to the commissioner, is that this emergency is not over," NSW Premier Chris Minns said in a press conference in Lismore, urging members of the public not to let their guard down as Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches.

"The rivers are full, the rains are continuing, and wind conditions are very high and extreme, particularly in the Byron Shire, right up to the Queensland border," he added.

"For those three reasons, it is crucially important that the public not dismiss this weather event as something that has already passed.

"It really doesn't matter to us whether it has been downgraded from a tropical cyclone to a weather event or if it is still a tropical cyclone. The effect on northern rivers communities and lower down into the Coffs area is still the same for thousands and thousands of families."

According to the NSW premier, there have been 29 flood rescues across the northern rivers from different SES volunteers.

At least 396 people are sheltering in an evacuation centre in Queensland today as Alfred approaches, the state's emergency services said.

There are 34 centres that will remain open in the coming hours, as communities ready themselves for potentially life-threatening flooding.

A fallen gum tree has damaged a house at Mudgeeraba on the Gold Coast. Source: AAP / Dave Hunt

"The event is not over, as we have heard from the Bureau of Meteorology, there is a lot of rain forecast for today and in coming days. Heavy and intense rainfall is expected to fall today within the Brisbane, Gold Coast and as far west as Toowoomba," a SES spokesperson said.

"What I’m really concerned about today and emergency services are concerned about is that this could cause rapid flash flooding, which could catch our motorists unaware if they are moving about.

"This flash-flooding could pose a significant risk to life, particularly if you drive into flood waters or play in those flood waters."

— Cameron Carr

The search for a 61-year-old man who went missing in floodwaters in Northern New South Wales on Friday will resume as soon as it is safe, NSW Police have confirmed.

"Our concerns for him get worse hour to hour, but we have to look at the ability to get in and access some of these waterways," Acting commander of Coffs Harbour Police District Guy Flaherty said, adding that severe weather conditions from Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred were impacting air and water rescue efforts.

The man was swept into floodwaters yesterday afternoon, while trying to cross the Wild Cattle Creek Bridge, in Megan, north-east of Dorrigo.

He is reported to have secured himself to a tree branch, before being swept underwater shortly after 3pm.

According to the police, the missing man is a local from the Megan township.

NSW Deputy Premier Prue Car is urging people in the state's flood-affected areas to stay up to date with official advice.

"The message is to still always follow the advice of emergency services at all times," she said in an address, adding that "every arm of government" is working to assist regional communities in Alfred's path.

Fallen trees at Pottsville Beach in Northern New South Wales. Source: AAP / Jason O'Brien

NSW SES Commissioner Mike Wassing said the organisation is also on alert.

"We're still seeing very strong winds. More importantly, we're still seeing very heavy rainfalls, and therefore river rises, flash flooding and continued inundation of many areas," he said.

"Currently, the NSW SES has 131 warnings, 40 emergency warnings, which equates to approximately 20,000 people under evacuation warnings."

— Cameron Carr

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) says it is on standby to support flood-affected communities and has already provided 300,000 sandbags to Queensland so far.

"While the state governments remain the primary responders, Defence is ready and prepared to support communities as requested by the Government," Rear Admiral Jonathan Earley said.

"We have 60 ADF personnel and 30 high-clearance vehicles that have been pre-positioned in Queensland to support police and SES volunteers as we move into the recovery phase," he said, adding that 120 ADF personnel and "30 high-clearance vehicles" had also been provided to northern New South Wales.

Queensland's Acting Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy said there has been no loss of life or missing persons in the state at this stage.

He said that emergency services were called out to "a large number of jobs" across the Gold Coast and Brisbane areas overnight due to damage caused by trees and power lines, including a damaged apartment block which prompted the safe evacuation of 21 people.

The majority of requests for assistance related to storm or structural damage he said.

Police responded to over 80 calls for assistance, while the Queensland fire department attended 160 jobs.

Chelepy added there were no "significant reports" of damage to houses or infrastructure on Stradbroke, Moreton Island or the lower bay islands as the tropical cyclone passed over that area.

He said he expects to see more reports of "minor damages" as people begin to emerge from their houses to inspect their property.

Chelepy flagged that power outages would affect traffic lights and some telecommunication services as well.

"We will see the majority of them come back on as the power gets restored in those areas."

The Australian Defence Force is also supporting the relief efforts.

— Cameron Carr

Police have reported that adverse weather conditions have hampered the search for a man who has gone missing in floodwaters in Northern New South Wales.

On Friday, emergency services responded to reports that a 4WD had been washed off a bridge into fast-running water northeast of Dorrigo.

They said the male driver "was able to exit the vehicle and secure himself to a tree branch approximately 30m from the river bank".

"Shortly after 3pm the man was swept from the tree and seen to go beneath the water where he has not been sighted since," NSW police added.

The Prime Minister has spoken for the first time after the Cyclone has been downgraded, warning that "very serious risks remain".

"We are well prepared. I want to acknowledge the work that Queenslanders and northern New South Wales residents have undertaken to be ready," he said.

"The impacts are already being felt, and there is worse to come in hours ahead. We must remain vigilant. This is a very serious weather event. Please do not go outside... Stay out of flood waters; do not risk it," Albanese warned.

"The latest modeling indicates it will cross the mainland over the next few hours. While it has been downgraded, very serious risks remain. It is important that people do not take this downgrading as a reason for complacency.

"The advice remains: if it is flooded, forget it."

Albanese also said that six generators are on their way to Lismore amid the power outages.

"We know that there are reports of significant power outages with more than a quarter of a million homes without power," he said.

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred is now expected to move inland in the next 12-24 hours according to the Queensland Bureau of Meteorology.

The BoM's Matthew Collopy said the organisation predicts the cyclone will move north of Toowoomba and further inland this evening.

"A severe weather warning remains in place across the south-east, with the risk of locally heavy to intense rainfall and the potential for damaging wind gusts continuing," he said.

"The primary concern within the severe weather warning is for those locally intense and very heavy rainfall amounts, but there is also the chance of damaging wind gusts with the system, or with the rain showers and thunderstorms as the system moves inland."

Collopy said there is no longer a risk of a significant storm surge as the bureau had previously predicted before the cyclone was downgraded.

"Although the winds have eased, the large swell and wave conditions will continue along the Queensland coast," he said.

"We will see those ease as we move into Sunday and Monday, but ongoing coastal erosion is likely. There is no longer a risk of a significant storm surge, and sea levels are not expected to exceed the normal highest tides."

Some areas of south-east Queensland could get up to 800 millimetres of rain according to the meteorologist.

 — Cameron Carr

Earlier this morning, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) reported that Cyclone Alfred has been downgraded to a tropical low meaning that it has lost its category two tropical cyclone status.

According to BoM, Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred "sustained winds near the centre of 55 kilometres per hour with wind gusts to 85 kilometres per hour".

The main distinction between a tropical low and a tropical cyclone is wind speed. Tropical lows typically have lower wind speeds than tropical cyclones, yet they can still produce severe thunderstorms and significant rainfall.

"Tropical lows are moderate-strength low pressure systems that occur in the tropics, often in the monsoon trough. In Australia, they happen in the northern tropical areas from October to April. This is the foundation for our tropical cyclone season," BoM states.

Although the Cyclone has been downgraded, the bureau has warned that "heavy to intense rainfall and damaging wind gusts are still expected over Southeast Queensland."

— Niv Sadrolodabaee

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli says the state will face "significant challenges ahead", as ex-Tropical Cylone Alfred approaches.

"Those four key challenges — waves, wind, rainfall and flooding — have been those four stages that different areas have worked through at different times," he said Saturday morning.

The premier confirmed overnight wind speeds of 107 km/h were recorded at the Gold Coast seaway, 93 km/h at the Brisbane Airport, and 85 kmh at Redcliffe.

"We have seen some damage to some buildings. We've seen the loss of a roof off one of the apartment buildings, one of the older buildings on the Gold Coast," he said.

"We've had quite a few instances of trees falling on homes, cars and powerlines."

Crisafulli is warning Queenslanders to stay vigilant as the heavy rainfall continues.

"The challenges now are flash flooding, creek rises. They remain a real prospect with some of the rainfall predicted in the days ahead," he said.

"We have to be ready for that prospect. With swollen catchments, the risk of flash flooding remains, I'm asking Queenslanders to continue to stay vigilant."

Over the past 19 hours, 240 millimetres or rain was recorded at Springbrook, 200mm at Tallebudgera and 100mm at Mount Cotton.

• As Alfred prepares to make landfall, more than 250,000 homes across Queensland and NSW remain without power
• Emergency flood warnings are coming in fast across parts of Northern New South Wales, particularly for communities along the Richmond River
• Overnight, several emergency flooding alerts were also issued in the Gold Coast for Tallebudgera and Currumbin Creek
• Brisbane residents have been asked to stay indoors and shelter inside the strongest room in their house and the city is now officially experiencing gale-force winds
• As of writing, Alfred is currently sitting off Bribie Island and moving slowly north, according to the BoM
• Public transport has been suspended and some major roads and airports have been shut down in parts of south-east Queensland and NSW.
• Across NSW and Queensland evacuation centres have been set up, including at Brisbane's RNA showgrounds.
• You can find the latest warnings from the NSW SES here, for Queensland, they can be found here.