Cyclone Alfred is the first tropical cyclone so far south off the Queensland’s coast since Gough Whitlam was prime minister. Schools have been shut, public transport parked and two AFL matches punted. As the first rain started falling, officials said 20,000 properties in Brisbane were at risk of flooding.
If it holds the category 2 status awarded by the Bureau of Meteorology – meaning it has maximum mean wind speeds of between 89km/h and 117km/h – Alfred will be the first storm of such power to hit the south-east coast since Zoe in 1974.
