Cyclone Alfred latest: Flooded Australian states brace for landfall as body found in search for missing man
A body has been found amid a search for a missing elderly man who was swept away in floodwaters near Dorrigo in New South Wales as Alfred lashed Australia’s eastern coast with heavy rains.
Two Australian states have been swamped by flooding as the storm continued to linger off the coast of Queensland, expected to move inland slowly overnight.
“It is crucially important that the public not dismiss this weather event as something that has already passed,” New South Wales premier Chris Minns said.
“The rivers are full, the rain is continuing and expected to keep falling in the days ahead.”
Alfred was downgraded from a tropical storm to a tropical low as it continues to linger close to Bribie Island, 65km north-northeast of Brisbane and 40km south-southeast of Maroochydore, with a wind speed of 55kmph.
Heavy rainfall has already swelled up rivers and a quarter of a million people are without power in Queensland alone – the largest power outage in a decade.
Thousands of residents have been ordered to evacuate or stay indoors as the storm lashes the region with torrential rain, fierce winds, and towering waves, causing widespread power outages, beach erosion, and airport closures.
