How Cyclone Alfred helped the rise of the ‘weather influencer’

Cyclone Alfred has caused carnage for many but for social media influencers the severe weather system has delivered a goldmine of content.

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The first cyclone to menace southeast Queensland in more than 50 years has proven a goldmine for social media influencers who have tapped into the major event to grow their audience significantly.

TikTok influencer Dasha Daley posted no less than 37 cyclone-related videos including footage of leaking windows in her Surfers Paradise apartment, attracting 3.7 million views.

Another Gold Coast-based influencer, Noah Johnstone, also made the most of the extraordinary weather event, with his videos attracting a global audience and 3.4 million views.

As digital communication expert Daniel Angus likened the behaviour of “weather influencers” to those of health influencers, content creators defended their videos as serving a useful purpose.

Mr Johnstone said he was surprised by the enormous interest in his videos of beach erosion and wild surf caused by Cyclone Alfred before it crossed the coast as a tropical low.

“I’d been doing beach videos, going to each beach and reviewing them and then posting, and then the cyclone came and I was like ‘this is a great opportunity to go out’ even though they said to stay home,” he said.

“Each day I was going to different locations and filming and it just blew up. I’m getting messages from people in different countries and friends have told me over in Brazil people are talking about it. It’s crazy.”

He attributed the viral nature of the footage to the fact social media did not exist the last time a cyclone threatened the southeast Queensland coast in 1974.

Mr Johnstone said he believed he presented a perspective unavailable through other platforms but admitted there were times when he felt unsafe.

“The waves were scary at Currumbin. There was a point where they were coming out really high and I thought I wasn’t going to get out, but I’m OK,” said the 22-year-old.

“It’s definitely rewarding because you go home and put your video together and then seeing other people enjoy your content really makes me happy.”

Professor Angus, from the Queensland University of Technology’s Digital Media Research Centre, said influencers provided highly localised, real-time updates that mainstream media could often overlook.

Erosion along Miami Beach on the Gold Coast caused by days of Tropical Cyclone Alfred hovering off the coast. Picture: AFP

“Their credibility has grown because they are seen as passionate, knowledgeable and often deeply embedded in the communities they report on,” he said.

“However, they are also frequently prone to hyperbolic and exaggerated claims, just as mainstream media can be.”

Professor Angus saw strong similarities with health influencers “prone to spreading misinformation when unchecked”.

“Unlike official sources, they are less bound to codes of conduct or regulations designed with community welfare in mind.

“This means that emergency professionals and official sources now face a dual challenge, not only disseminating accurate information but also countering sensationalist narratives from both independent influencers and established media outlets.”