Cyclone Alfred live updates: What you need to know
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By STEVE JACKSON FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: | Updated:

Cyclone Alfred has hit Queensland’s outer islands and is forecast to cross the mainland between Maroochydore and Bribie Island before 12pm (local time).

The tropical cyclone – the first to hit south-east Queensland and northern NSW in half a century – has been downgraded to a category one system.

It is forecast to weaken below tropical cyclone strength as it makes landfall.

It is still predicted to bring gusts of up to 95km/h, heavy rain and life threatening floods.

Four million residents have been told to either evacuate or hunker down.  

A man was swept away in floodwaters in northern NSW on Friday afternoon and remains missing. 

Follow Daily Mail Australia’s live coverage of the cyclone’s movements.

Cyclone Alfred hits Queensland’s outer islands

Tropical Cyclone Alfred has been downgraded to a category one system as it hits Queensland’s outer islands.

As of 4am, the cyclone was close to Bribie Island and moving 10km/h to the mainland with 65km/h winds near the centre and gusts of up to 95km/h.

It was 55km northeast of Brisbane and 55km southeast of Maroochydore, and is expected to make landfall in the next few hours.

As Alfred crosses the coast, it is forecast to weaken below tropical cyclone strength.

Despite its weakening, heavy rainfall, wind and high swells are likely to continue over southeast Queensland and northeast NSW during the weekend.

The warning zone has been reduced from 650km to 160km, and now stretches from Noosa to Brisbane, but doesn’t include the Queensland capital.

TOPSHOT - Residents walk along the damaged foreshore of Nobby's Beach located on the southern end of the Gold Coast on March 7, 2025. Violent winds toppled power lines on March 7 as Tropical Cyclone Alfred inched towards Australia's eastern coast, sparking evacuation orders and leaving more than 50,000 homes without electricity. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 07: General view from Burleigh Heads on March 07, 2025 in Gold Coast, Australia. Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall in southeast Queensland and northern NSW as a Category 2 storm, marking the first time a cyclone has directly hit the region in over 50 years. The storm is forecast to bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and potential storm surges, prompting authorities to urge residents to prepare for significant impacts, including flooding and power outages. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Young men stand behind a wall as they play in record-breaking waves caused by the outer fringe of Tropical Cyclone Alfred at Point Danger in Coolangatta on March 7, 2025. Violent winds toppled power lines on March 7 as Tropical Cyclone Alfred inched towards Australia's eastern coast, sparking evacuation orders and leaving more than 50,000 homes without electricity. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
TOPSHOT - A fallen tree sits across a road in front of buildings in Coolangatta on March 7, 2025. Violent winds toppled power lines on March 7 as Tropical Cyclone Alfred inched towards Australia's eastern coast, sparking evacuation orders and leaving more than 50,000 homes without electricity. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
Water covers an empty street at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast on March 7, 2025. Violent winds toppled power lines on March 7 as Tropical Cyclone Alfred inched towards Australia's eastern coast, sparking evacuation orders and leaving more than 50,000 homes without electricity. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 07: A general view is seen of Brisbane from the Mount Coot-tha Summit Lookout on March 07, 2025 in Brisbane, Australia. Australia's east coast, particularly Queensland and northern New South Wales, is bracing for the impact of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, a rare Category 2 storm that is expected to make landfall between the Gold Coast and southern parts of the Wide Bay region. The cyclone is anticipated to bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and severe flooding, with millions of residents preparing for the worst-case scenario. Authorities have issued evacuation orders, distributed sandbags, and shut down airports and public transport in anticipation of the storm's arrival, which could be one of the most significant weather events in the region in decades. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

More than a quarter of a million homes without power

Thousands of homes have been plunged into darkness overnight with almost 250,000 properties now without power in Queensland.

Close to 50,000 houses are also without electricity south of the border in northern NSW, with authorities warning the outages could last for days.

The Gold Coast has been the hardest hit by blackouts with almost 120,000 homes affected.

More homes are expected to lose power throughout the morning as storms continue to batter the coast and bring down power lines.

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