Schools are closed, public transport has stopped and desperate householders are getting around shortages of sandbags by buying sacks of potting mix as a region of eastern Australia is lashed by wind and rain from a rare approaching tropical cyclone
Tropical Cyclone Alfred, a rare event for southeastern Queensland, is approaching the coast near Brisbane, with its landfall expected early Saturday. This marks the first cyclone in the area since 1974. Schools in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales were closed, affecting over 4 million people. Public transport halted, and residents, facing sandbag shortages, resorted to using potting mix. High winds of 80-90 kph and a record 12.3-meter wave were reported. The cyclone's slower approach provided residents with an extra 24 hours, though it prolonged high tides.
