Cyclone Alfred was downgraded when the Tropical Storm hit the Australian coast

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated and more than 230,000 households remained unpowered, so it is expected to land on Australia’s east coast on Saturday morning.

The weather front, originally called Cyclone Alfred, was tropically low, set to reach up to 85 km/h, and was downgraded more strongly than initial predictions.

The weather department expects the storm to be sitting off Bribee Island, slowly moving northward, crossing the mainland coast between the island and the Martard.

Authorities are warning people to stay indoors for those fined for beach visitors as heavy rains and floods are still expected.

On Saturday morning, senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury from the Department of Weather was told there was a continuing risk of widespread bad weather, particularly rainfall.

“The total 24-hour rainfall could easily exceed 200mm or more over the next few days as the system slows down and moves inland,” she told ABC News Breakfast.

“The rain is still in full swing, but we still see widespread flash loading, widespread impacts.

The former tropical cyclone is already causing flooding, and authorities fear it could get worse over the weekend. NSW Police said Friday that one man went missing after the vehicle was washed away into a rapidly flowing river.

Four million people in Queensland and northern New South Wales are on storm fire lines.

However, slow progress, described by weather experts as “walk pace” and “unsteady” raised concerns about flashes and river flooding in lowlands.

Steven Valentine and his wife, who live in Logan City, south of Brisbane, prepared about 30 liters of water and food for themselves and their pets, and set up a “secured room” in a house away from the window.

“At this point, we’re as prepared as we can for something no one has experienced… there’s nothing south in the south,” said Valentine, who grew up in the city.

“We’ll get the edge of cyclones more often than ever, but not at this level,” he added.

Queensland is no cyclone stranger, but while it is Australia’s most disaster-prone state, they have rarely come south to date.

“These are tough times, but Australians are tough people and we are resilient,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Thursday.

Approximately 1,000 schools have been closed, public transport has been suspended, and airports have been closed. Flights are not expected to resume until Sunday. Optional surgery has also been cancelled.

The last time the Cyclone hit was Wanda’s hit in January in 1974, and two months later, when Zoe crossed the coast.

However, flooding is more common. In February 2022, thousands of homes were damaged along much of Australia’s east after heavy rains.

Authorities were keen to prepare the community ahead of Cyclone Alfred. The council has opened punching bag depots throughout the area to help residents protect their homes.

“It’s surreal. We know it’s coming, but it’s very quiet,” said Anthony Singh, a resident of the West End’s suburb of Brisbane. He waited four hours on Wednesday and picked up a punching bag to protect his home.

A fellow resident Mark Clayton coordinated his punching bag collection and helped shovel over 140 tons of sand.

“I think people are a little worried,” he says. “Is the building up standing up? Will the roof continue? People expect a lot of trees to come down and lose their strength for a long time.”

With supermarkets closed and most are evacuated at home, there is a lot of uncertainty as Australians wait for the storm to hit.

However, some stubborn surfers are paying attention to the increased wind.

“This is something we look forward to,” said Jeff Weatherall, who was waiting for the jet skis to pick him up from Kira Beach and carry him to the big waves. “This was straight for the fifth day. I just had to eat, sleep, surf, and start over again.”

Kira Beach is famous for its breakers, and surfers were busy grabbing strong winds this week.

“There are people who lose their homes, but at this point you’re taking it all away. This is just crazy surfing,” surfer Donnie Neal said.

Meanwhile, Albanese warns people to take the cyclone warnings seriously.

“This is not the time of sightseeing, it’s not the time to see what it’s like to experience these conditions firsthand,” he said.

“Be safe. Be wise.”

Additional reports by Kelly Ng and Hafsa Khalil