Australians warned they should not be satisfied with the dangers posed by former tropical cyclone Alfred after being downgraded to the tropical cyclone system on Saturday morning.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred was downgraded after stalling within miles of mainland Australia on Saturday morning, but warnings remain of heavy winds and rainfall in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales.
The 61-year-old crossed the bridge in a fast-moving flood near Dorigo, NSW on Friday. Emergency services could easily talk to the man when he clung to the tree before he was “unfortunately washed downstream.”
Anthony Albanese urged people not to go through the flood, saying, “It's important that people do not get this downgrade as a reason for self-satisfaction.”
“[This system’s] The impact will be serious and will intensify in the coming hours and indeed in the coming days,” Albanese said. “The impact is already felt and it's even worse in the next few hours. We have to keep our guard up.”
Approximately 250,000 homes in Queensland and 43,000 homes in NSW were out of power at around noon on Saturday. Queensland Prime Minister David Kurinafurli said the suspension was “the only biggest loss we've seen in over a decade.”
Gold Coast University Hospital had no main power on Saturday mornings and was running on a generator. Albanese said six generators were being transported to Lismore on Saturday morning.
NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharp said it could be “a few days” before power is restored north of the state.
“You'll have to be patient,” Sharp said. “We cannot risk the lives of those workers, but we know we are doing everything we can as quickly as possible.”
Essential Energy, a state-owned power infrastructure provider, said debris containing fallen trees and vegetation should be removed before the powerline can be evaluated and repaired.
Approximately 740 people from northern NSW had evacuated to 21 evacuation centres by 10am on Saturday, with 1,110 registered for use. Approximately 20,000 people were subject to evacuation warnings in the area.
Emergency service workers in the area conducted 30 flood rescues over a 24-hour period, involving people who were mostly driving the flood.
Mick Logan of the NSW Meteorology Department said there is a high possibility that a major flood will be north of the state from around noon.
Water levels were close to Lismore CBD taxes on Saturday morning, with more than 200mm of rain recorded over 24 hours in the Wilson River catchment.
The river catchment from southeast Queensland to NSW's Nambukka Valley was already full after rain early on Saturday.
The tropical cyclone reached the Moreton Bay Islands early on Saturday, increasing its speed but losing some strength. It was downgraded to Category 1 from a Category 2 tropical cyclone.
After the newsletter promotion
At 6am, Alfred was again downgraded by the Weather Service, effectively canceling Cyclone warnings, rather than other weather warnings, from Noosa to Brisbane. The station was called “Former Tropical Cyclone Alfred,” who stagnated in Moreton Bay near Bribe Island, about 55km north of Brisbane, and further tracked the north.
A senior meteorologist at Miriam Bradbury's Weather Bureau said the storm system had not moved from 6am to noon.
“I hope to create that coastal intersection today,” Bradbury said.
At a press conference on Saturday morning, Crisafulli said Wind Gusts over 100km/h had been recorded on the Gold Coast.
Residents of the area experienced wild nights with strong winds and rain. They have been warned to stay indoors for most of Saturday, and “long crossings” could mean heavy winds and rain will remain a threat for a long time.
Matthew Caropye, senior forecaster for the department, said the main concern is now due to heavy rain.
“We have already observed more than 250mm of rainfall around the scenic edges, and we have seen a wide total of 100mm to 200mm on the Gold Coast, but spread across the southern part of Brisbane,” he said.
“As tropical cyclone Alfred moves inland, more tropical moisture will flow in southeast Queensland, with a wide range of 300-500mm expected.
Read more about the reporting of the Guardian Australian Tropical Cyclone Alfred:
