Man washes windows on building at Mermaid Beach as Cyclone Alfred bears down on Gold Coast
A video was uploaded to X, showing the man, in shorts and a singlet, with a squeegee in one hand and a sponge in the other.
Rain, hail or shine.
A man has been filmed appearing to wash windows on “one of the tallest buildings” on Mermaid Beach, as Cyclone Alfred bears down on the Gold Coast.
A video was uploaded to X, showing the man, in shorts and a singlet, with a squeegee in one hand and a sponge in the other.
He continues to wash windows on the high-rise building as rain comes down, only metres from the coastline.
“There’s a guy cleaning his windows in the middle of Cyclone Alfred,” said Carl Hendy, who uploaded the video to X.
“Aussies … ‘She’ll be right, mate’,” one commenter quipped.
“Just sticking to routine,” wrote another.
“I’ve noticed older people do things like this to keep occupied,” a third said.
They are not wrong.
People are still acting “foolish” at the beach on the Gold Coast despite stern warnings from authorities and even the threat of a $16,100 fine.
Videos have emerged across social media of Australians swimming, walking and taking pictures near the shore before getting smashed by huge waves and sea foam.
“We had another two teenagers rescued by Surf Life Saving Queensland at Southport just earlier today and I understand from police that there are still about four kids in the water ignoring the warnings to get out,” Gold Coast acting mayor Donna Gates said on Friday afternoon.
“It’s very, very foolish and very, very dangerous.”
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli drew attention to people sightseeing at the beach on unstable infrastructure.
“Moments ago staff from council just ushered some people who were on one of those platforms that the underneath of it has been severely eroded,” he said in his afternoon press conference.
Ms Gates also had to ask residents not to “steal” sandbags that are holding down signs for road closures.
“Please stop stealing sandbags,” she said. “People are stealing sandbags and the signs are blowing away. The signage needs to be there so that people are aware of a road being closed, and we certainly don’t want that signage becoming a missile and causing additional damage.”
All Gold Coast residents have been asked to stay home from 4pm on Friday, when the strongest winds are expected to begin.
Ms Gates said if anyone has any concern about their safety in their home, they should go to the smallest room with no windows.
Unfortunately, the cyclone slowing down is “worse” for the Gold Coast as it “increases the risk of heavy rain over an extended period,” leading to flooding.
Earlier on Friday, Sunrise reporter Katie Brown was distracted from her live cross in Byron Bay by “stupid behaviour”.
She was explaining how people had to be careful even in minor flooding when a Holden Commodore sped past other cars driving slowly behind her.
“Sorry that is so dangerous and can cause a serious accident,” Brown said. “We are dealing with a cyclone but this is what you have to be aware of, it’s not people who are trying to be safe, it’s people are being silly.”
