By Renju Jose
SYDNEY (Reuters) – 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.
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.
Storm warnings on Wednesday stretched for more than 500 kilometres (311 miles) across the coast in the states of Queensland and New South Wales, impacting millions of people.
A total of 122 schools in the north of New South Wales will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, and vulnerable residents will be urged to relocate by Thursday morning, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said.
“We need to bunker down over the next 48 hours and get through what may be a very difficult time,” he told reporters.
Many residents have left their homes as authorities rush to open evacuation centres. Sandbags are in short supply and supermarket shelves have been stripped bare as people stock up on essentials.
Theme parks in the tourist city of Gold Coast will be closed from Wednesday, the Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned WPGA Championship event was called off, and the season-opening matches of the Australian Football League in Brisbane were postponed.
(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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