Australia's east coast braced on Wednesday for a tropical cyclone that is swirling towards Brisbane, the country's third-most populous city, as authorities warned thousands of properties were at risk due to strong winds and flash flooding, APA reports citing Reuters.
Destructive wind gusts of up to 155 kph (96 mph) could develop from Thursday afternoon as tropical cyclone Alfred is expected to cross the coast as a category-two storm early on Friday morning near Queensland state capital Brisbane, Australia's weather bureau said.
The weather system will bring heavy rainfall leading to life-threatening flash floods, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
Category two cyclones - on a five-level scale - are three rungs away from the most dangerous and can cause major damage to trees and caravans, and break boats from their moorings.
"If you're told to leave, you should leave. I can't be more blunt than that," Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told ABC News, calling on residents to heed evacuation orders.
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