Tropical Cyclone Alfred Approaches Australia: Over 80,000 Households Without Power

More than 80,000 households in Australia were without electricity today as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approached the country’s eastern shores, accompanied by destructive winds. As of Friday afternoon (local time), the cyclone was located 125 kilometers east of Brisbane, according to the government. The country’s meteorological service estimated that this first cyclone to hit the region since 1974 would make landfall tomorrow morning, Saturday. Over four million people reside in the areas expected to be impacted, spanning the borders of Queensland and New South Wales. This morning, 80,000 households in these two states lacked power due to strong winds uprooting trees that fell onto electrical poles, authorities noted. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli emphasized that the typhoon is already very powerful and warned that conditions will worsen as Alfred nears land. Two people were rescued after a tree fell on their roof in a suburb of the coastal city Gold Coast, Queensland, reported the state’s ambulance service. In total, 10,000 residents from flood-prone areas of New South Wales have been evacuated from their homes, an official stated. Authorities are particularly concerned about Lismore, which suffered record flooding in 2022 with water levels reaching 14 meters following torrential rains. In recent days, many Australians in threatened areas have prepared by placing sandbags at their home entrances and stockpiling water and food. ‘Many people are scared because we don’t know what will happen,’ said Paul Farooq, a resident of the coastal town Coolangatta, on the border between New South Wales and Queensland. ‘We could all lose our homes,’ the 62-year-old man added anxiously. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stressed that the region must ‘hope for the best but prepare for the worst.’ ‘When nature causes disasters, Australians show their best selves: We unite, look out for one another, and care for our neighbors,’ he told reporters. The cyclone is likely to reach the Australian coast tomorrow, the country’s meteorological service noted, though tracking its path remains challenging. More than 900 schools in Queensland and northern New South Wales remained closed today, officials from the Education Ministry announced. Although cyclones are common in the warm, tropical waters of northern Australia, it is rare for them to form in the cooler southern waters. Researchers have repeatedly warned that climate change increases the risk of natural disasters such as wildfires, floods, and cyclones.