‘This is unusual’: Northern NSW braces for first tropical cyclone in decades

Residents in northern NSW are being urged to prepare as the state braces for its first tropical cyclone in more than three decades, with 100km/h winds and 300 millimetres of rain forecast to hit the region.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall anywhere between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast late Thursday or early Friday as a category 2 system, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

A cyclone watch is in place for the region stretching from the Sunshine Coast to Grafton in northern NSW.

As of Monday afternoon the cyclone was about 450 kilometres north-east of Brisbane and moving south-east about 20 km/h. It is expected to travel in that direction until Tuesday, when it will swing west, bringing heavy rains to northern NSW.

Authorities urged residents to stay vigilant, pay attention to warnings and prepare for a rare cyclone in this part of Australia.

“This is unusual for NSW,” BOM hazard preparedness manager Steven Bernasconi said.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall between Bundaberg and northern NSW.Credit: Nine News

“We don’t often have tropical cyclone watches and warnings in the NSW jurisdiction. The most recent one was back in 1990 with an event called Tropical Cyclone Nancy. Prior to that, it wasn’t until 1974 with Tropical Cyclone Zoe.”

A flood watch alert has been issued for the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast regions, while flood watches and erosion warnings have been issued for coastal areas, with record high 14-metre waves recorded off Wide Bay in Queensland on Sunday.

Bernasconi said “large and powerful” swells and waves had been seen in the north-east corner of NSW, while “abnormally high” tides could start to appear as the cyclone approaches. Coastal warnings for abnormally high tides and damaging surf have been issued for Tweed Heads down to Nambucca Heads.

Winds could reach up to 100km/h, while between 100 and 300 millimetres of rain could fall on Thursday and Friday and waves of up to eight metres could hit coastal areas, Bernasconi said.

The flood watch issued by the Bureau of Meteorology.Credit: Bureau of Meteorology

Damaging surf and wind warnings have also been issued for the popular holiday spot Lord Howe Island.

The NSW SES will deploy additional flood rescue and storm response staff to the Mid-North Coast and Northern Rivers, a region that was devastated by floods in 2022.

“We have also sent communication equipment, support personnel, aviation resources and specialised vehicles ahead of the forecasted impacts later this week,” NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan.

NSW SES Commissioner Michael Wassing urged residents in the state’s north to have an exit plan for themselves and their pets and prepare by cleaning up loose items around their homes and sandbag properties if necessary. Anyone who requires assistance with sandbagging should call the SES on 132 500.

NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib assured Northern NSW residents the authorities are doing “everything we can”.Credit: Peter Rae

“Our focus will be on continuing to support the community,” Wassing said.

“We’re ready for this, we’re well-trained, our people are well-trained, we have the subject matter expertise there and we’ll be working with the local community in the coming days.”

NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib assured locals the authorities are doing “everything we can” to prepare for the looming system.

“We’re cognisant of what the Northern Rivers have gone through and some of the trauma that they carry,” he told reporters.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told residents in the state’s south-east “now’s the time to prepare”, including having tinned food, making an emergency kit, gathering passports and clearing debris from properties.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli provides an update on Tropical Cyclone Alfred on Sunday.Credit: Facebook

“You don’t have the chance to prepare in the [last] remaining few hours. Now’s the time to do all those little things that make a big difference at the pointy end of that system,” he said.

The Queensland government has asked telecommunications companies to increase network capacity to cope with an expected jump in internet usage and millions of messages throughout the emergency.

Many homes in south-east Queensland are not built to withstand cyclones as they are infrequent in that part of the state, and Crisafulli urged residents to listen to warnings from authorities.

The cyclone coincides with the AFL season opener in Brisbane between Geelong Cats and the Brisbane Lions on Thursday, while a day later the NRL’s Dolphins and Rabbitohs are set to go head-to-head at Suncorp Stadium.

An AFL spokesman said the league would monitor the situation over coming days and adhere to government advice.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said many residents there had never experienced a cyclone before as he stressed the “very real threat” to south-east Queensland.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said funding support would be made available to Queensland.

“We hope of course for the best outcome possible, but we will stand with Queenslanders at this difficult time and we will continue to provide support just as we have for the impact of the floods that have had a devastating impact in North Queensland as well,” he said.

With AAP

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