Gympie Woolworths close, schools to shut due to Cyclone Alfred

Woolworths have closed their three Gympie region supermarkets ‘until it is safe’, schools are shut, sport and one of the country’s biggest cattle sales has been cancelled as the region awaits Alfred’s next move.

The latest track map issued by the Bureau on Thursday afternoon.

Some Gympie schools and multiple businesses and supermarkets were shut by Thursday afternoon as Cyclone Alfred crawled its way painfully slowly towards the Qld coast.

There was little sign of the storm in the Gympie region, but non essential Queensland Health staff were told to go home, sport was cancelled, the country’s biggest cattle sale of its kind cancelled and schools were offering “supervision only” services for those families with parents that both worked.

The most recent advice from the Bureau of Meteorology had the cyclone 245km east of Brisbane and moving west at 7km an hour.

The latest track map issued by the Bureau on Thursday afternoon.

“Alfred is currently category 2 and is expected to remain of similar intensity until the centre starts to interact with the coast and Islands. The centre of Alfred is expected to cross the coast very early Saturday morning, most likely between Noosa and Coolangatta,” the BoM said.

Gales with damaging wind gusts to 120km/h were expected to develop along the southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales coastal and island communities between Double Island Point and Ballina Thursday evening and persist throughout Friday before easing Saturday morning.

Woolworths confirmed the temporary closures of its Southside Town Centre supermarket, and Gympie Central store at 2pm.

According to Woolworths’ website, the Cooloola store was already closed.

“Following weather warnings, and to keep our customers and our team safe, Woolworths stores in the cyclone warning zone may begin closing early today,” a Woolworths spokesperson said.

The satellite image of Cyclone Alfred on Thursday afternoon.

“We aim to keep our stores open as long as possible, however our store teams will adjust their hours according to safety, advice from local authorities and team member availability.

“We ask customers to please check the latest operating hours for their local store on the Woolworths website, which will be regularly updated.”

Once stores have reopened at a time which is still undetermined, Woolworths have confirmed extra stock will be ready to go.

“Our store team members have worked tirelessly over the past few days to keep stock on shelves, with stores in the cyclone warning zone receiving additional deliveries of essential products including pasta, rice, soup, nappies, baby food and formula, milk and frozen vegetables,” the spokesperson said.

“Our distribution centres in the region have been receiving additional stock which will be delivered to stores once it is safe to do so and stores have reopened.”

Coles in Goldfield Plaza said it would be open until 9pm Thursday.

The expected impact of Tropical Cyclone Alfred forced the postponement of the Droughtmaster National Female Sale, which was to be held at the Gympie Saleyards on Saturday, March 8, the day Alfred is now predicted to make landfall.

The Droughtmaster National Female Sale is held in Gympie every March.

The sale will now take place on March 22 with the same 198 lots offered at the Gympie Saleyards.

The Droughtmaster National Female Sale is the largest event of its kind for the sale of Droughtmaster females in a multi-vendor setting, attracting buyers from as far south as northern New South Wales, as far north as North Queensland, and across to western Queensland, according to Queensland Country Life.

Originally published as Gympie Woolworths close, schools to shut due to Cyclone Alfred