Tropical Cyclone Alfred live updates: What Aussies need to know as it barrels towards coast

People have been accused of acting like ‘vultures’ as a heavily populated Australian coastal region braces for a cyclone to hit for the first time in 50 years.

A long wait for sandbags has ended in frustration in a region bracing for a rare cyclone direct hit after people were accused of acting like ‘vultures’.

Authorities have called for calm before the storm, with panic buying also widespread in southeast Queensland ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred’s arrival.

The fruit and vegetable manager at Sam Coco Trading in Brisbane told Daily Mail Australia people are trying to get their hands on two items.

‘They’re taking water and toilet paper,’ Troy said.

‘Since Covid, they just do it and we prepare for it. Covid has made us used to panic buying.

‘It’s clear as a bell at the moment. There’s no sign of the cyclone but they’re all panic buying. It’s pretty much just staples.

‘There’s about to be plenty of water coming from the sky but they’re still buying it.’

Rainfall and strong wind gusts have begun ahead of the cyclone expected to make landfall between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane on Thursday evening or Friday morning.

It will mark the first time a cyclone has hit the southeast Queensland coast since 1974.

Supermarket shelves have been stripped bare in some stores as locals brace for impact, prompting a call for calm.

Sunshine Coast Police Superintendent Craig Hawkins said there were no supply issues and no need to panic buy ahead of the cyclone’s arrival.

‘Get what you need but be respectful of others who also need supplies to get through this,’ he told reporters on Tuesday.

The worst of Alfred’s impact once it makes landfall will hit the state’s southern flank, including Brisbane, the Gold Coast and NSW’s Northern Rivers.

Beaches and university campuses have closed, ferry services have stopped and Gold Coast theme parks are set to shut down from Wednesday as Alfred looms.

Emergency services, telco providers and Energex crews have bolstered the region.

‘Today’s a really, really key day for everyone … today’s the day that we’ve got to get those logistics right so I’m asking people to take it seriously,’ Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told ABC Radio Brisbane on Tuesday.

Heavy rainfall of up to 400mm is forecast this week leading to widespread flooding in southeast Queensland and NSW’s northeast.

NSW’s Northern Rivers is again in the firing line three years after flooding claimed five lives and destroyed homes.

‘Obviously those communities have already gone through massive amounts of flooding in recent years,’ NSW Premier Chris Minns told ABC.

‘This is the last thing that they want to hear but we are asking them to be prepared … for the worst and hope for the best.’

Gold Coast Airport said it was ‘open and operational’ early Wednesday morning.

‘We are closely monitoring TC Alfred. Please check with your airline regarding flight status updates,’ it said.

Updated flight information is available on the airport’s website.

Queensland schools will remain open today despite the looming threat of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

The Queensland Department of Education said schools will stay open on Wednesday, while schools on North Stradbroke and Moreton Bay islands will be open for supervision only.

‘Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to cross the South East Queensland coast either late Thursday evening or early Friday morning,’ a spokesperson said.

‘We will continue to monitor the weather conditions and take action where necessary to ensure the safety of our students, staff and the wider community.’

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli warned there was a ‘very strong’ likelihood they may close when Alfred crosses the coast.

‘This is certainly an event that doesn’t happen a lot for this part of the state, but it isn’t unprecedented and I am asking Queenslanders to be ready for it,’ he said.

Thousands have already fled their homes as Tropical Cyclone Alfred bears down on Australia’s east coast.

The cyclone intensified to a category two system as it changed course and headed towards the south-east Queensland coast.

Last recorded 510km east of Brisbane late Tuesday, Tropical Cyclone Alfred is set to make landfall north of the city either late Thursday or early Friday, bringing destructive winds of up to 130km/h, torrential rain, dangerous surf conditions and major flooding.

Authorities have urged millions in two states between Noosa Heads on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and Ballina in northern NSW to prepare to evacuate or hunker down.

Voluntary evacuations began on Stradbroke Island on Tuesday as police door-knocked hundreds of homes in low lying areas between the Gold Coast and Sunshine coasts.

South-east Queensland is hours away from coming to an abrupt standstill with schools, university campuses, Gold Coast theme parks, offices and public transport systems all set to shut down on Thursday.

The Brisbane CBD will become a ghost town for the first time since Covid-19 lockdowns with residents ordered to work from home.

Almost 20,000 homes in the Brisbane Council catchment area will be flooded if Alfred continues on its projected path, according to the latest modelling.