Managers warn residents to remain vigilant while ex-cyclone Alfred leaves more than 330,000 houses and companies without electricity.
The tropical cyclone Alfred has weakened in a tropical low -time system, but those responsible have warned that the storm can still bring violent winds and floods on the eastern coast of Australia.
The cyclone, which weakened early on Saturday, crossed the islands off the Côtes de l’etat du Queensland overnight and is now heading for the continent, said the meteorology office.
“Strong to intense precipitation leading to flashes and river floods now become the main concern while the former tropical cyclone Alfred moves inside,” said Matt Colloley, director of the Bureau of Meteorology.
Alfred passed out more than a quarter of a million houses and businesses while inviting evacuation orders for thousands of people. No death has been reported so far, but the authorities have urged residents to stay inside.
“The impacts are already felt, and there is worse to come in the coming hours,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference in the situation in Canberra.
He was to become the first cyclone to cross the eastern coast of Australia near the capital of the State of Queensland of Brisbane since 1974.
Cyclones are common in the tropical north of Queensland but rare in the temperate and densely populated southeast corner of the state of New South Wales.
Thousands without power
Brisbane airport remains closed and the city has suspended public transport. More than 1,000 schools in the southeast Queensland and 280 in northern South Wales (NSW) have been closed.
More than 330,000 houses and businesses have lost power on both sides of the border between NSW and Queensland, a large part of them on Gold Coast, which recorded the largest gusts of 107 km / h (66 MPH) on Friday evening.
Among these, 291,000 locals were in Queensland, including 131,000 in Gold Coast, officials said. 45,000 others were without electricity in New South Wales.
Electric lines, houses and cars were damaged by the fall of trees in the region on Friday evening.
A man was still missing after his four-wheel drive vehicle was swept away from a bridge in a river that cleared the day before in the north of New South Wales.
“Although it has been downgraded, very serious risks remain, it is important that people do not take this demotion as a reason for the complacency,” said Prime Minister Albanese.
