Bloomberg's latest hurricane report says the east coast of Australia is facing heavy rain, strong winds and flooding as a strong storm is forecast to head towards the country's third largest city.
The latest storm forecast from the Australian Meteorological Agency said that Category 2 storm Alfred was about 465km northeast of Brisbane on the morning of March 3. The latest storm is expected to turn westward from 4.3 and make landfall near the city of Brisbane on March 6, then weaken.
"Serious risks are possible in the southern coastal waters of Australia and northern New South Wales. localized heavy to very heavy rain is forecast for southeastern Australia and northeastern New South Wales from 5 March as superstorm Alfred approaches the coast. Flood warnings have been issued for these areas," the hurricane bulletin said.
Alfred is the first tropical storm to hit Brisbane since 2017, when Hurricane Debbie's circulation caused severe damage in northern Australia.
News.com.au's latest hurricane report says the first hurricane warning since 1990 congestion was issued in New South Wales as Alfred moved towards Brisbane.
The first hurricane warning in 35 years since Typhoon Nancy has been issued urging people to prepare for when Alfred could cause strong winds, strong waves and heavy rain.
"This is unusual for New South Wales. We do not regularly monitor and warn of tropical storms within the scope of New South Wales' monitoring, said Steven Bernasconi, risk prevention manager of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
New South Wales is expected to experience strong gusts of wind within 24 to 48 hours due to the storm. "Extreme winds" are expected at speeds of 100 km/h on March 6 and 7, with waves in southeastern Australia likely to reach 8m, while offshore waves could reach 15m.
The latest weather forecast also said that due to the impact of storm Alfred, widespread rain of 100-300mm is likely to occur on March 6 and 7.
Bernasconi added that the time the storm will make landfall is "not yet certain" but it is likely to happen on March 6 or 7. The latest hurricane models see the storm likely making landfall in Brisbane on March 6.
