Cyclone Alfred heads for eastern Australia

Photo:Depositphotos

Australia's Prime Minister has urged residents living on the east coast of Australia to be cautious as strong winds are expected to batter the country in the coming days. The strong winds have already forced mass evacuations and are expected to make landfall on Saturday. Cyclone Alfred is currently located 125 kilometres east of Brisbane.

Meteorologists say Cyclone Alfred will weaken rapidly after making landfall meaning the damaging winds will likely avoid Brisbane. Wind gusts of up to 120 kilometres per hour are expected in the Brisbane area on Saturday.

The situation on the east coast is gradually worsening, with huge waves reported on the Gold Coast. In New South Wales state emergency workers have already had to intervene with the help of police in the search for a missing man from a truck that was swept away by the water.

Four million people live in the area where Cyclone Alfred is heading. In the states of Queensland and New South Wales winds are uprooting trees and tearing down power lines. Power outages are widespread and repair crews are trying to restore them as quickly as possible. Nineteen thousand residents living in New South Wales have been ordered to evacuate due to the threat of flooding.

Most residents have spent the past few days fortifying their homes with sandbags and stockpiling water and food. If Cyclone Alfred makes landfall it will be the first cyclone to hit this part of Australia since 1974.

Source:AlJazeera